James Cormack

James Noble Cormack was a British and Scottish track and field athlete who competed at the 1906 Olympic Games.

Biography

Cormack, born in Ayr, Scotland, was educated at Ayr Academy and Edinburgh Institution. He started his career as a middle-distance runner and ran in the 1901 Scottish AAA Championships, finishing fourth in the 880 yards. The following year, he represented Scotland in an international match against Ireland and over the same distance claimed second place.
Cormack was a member of the Edinburgh Harriers and the London AC before he took work in Johannesburg, South Africa working for the government in 1903. He initially raced for Pretoria Harriers following a move to the city to work in the Public Works Department.
In South Africa, he won their national cross country championship before returning to Europe. By 1906, Cormack had stepped up in distance and participated in the marathon for Great Britain during the 1906 Olympic Games in Athens.
During World War I, he served with the Royal Highlanders although he had returned to South Africa and was working in Transvaal at the time. He married Mary Walters in Durban on 5 June 1924. He retired from the Institute of South African Architects in 1931.
Cormack died in Kingswood, Surrey, England, on 22 January 1965.