Category: Athlete-Builder

Inducted: Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Art Meaney’s running career, as an outstanding athlete and as a giving and important builder, spans nearly 40 years and is overflowing with achievements and contributions. His work and success within the organizational aspects of running clearly demonstrate his great love for the sport, a love that equals his impressive success in running competition.

His running career began during the 1970’s and continued into the 2008’s, setting a high standard of behaviour. It can, and often is, cited as an excellent example for young athletes.

Meaney’s resume includes a victory in the Tely Ten in 1979 that is supported by first place in the provincial marathon championship, the provincial half marathon championship, the provincial 20-kilometer run and an exiting Newfoundland and Labrador cross-counry title.

Age has done nothing to diminish Meaney’s great love for running and he continued to rank up impressive statistics in an ever-lasting list of age-group competitions. Within Tely Ten runs he has established the record times for no less than four age-groups. In 1984 and again in 1985, he racked up victories in the Canadian Masters Marathon Championships for runners 40 years old or older.

Included in the many, many long distance races, within Canada and the United States, in which he has competed extremely well, are the Boston and New York City Marathons. The Shamrock ten-mile run in Palm Beach, Florida is a good example of his ability as he was first in his age group in the 2007 event.

His determination to continue running is demonstrated by the fact that at 64 years of age he competes in local races and covers 50 to 60 miles a week in training.

Meaney was a high school running coach at Gonzaga High School for many years and served as cross-country running coach at Memorial University from 1997. He acts as an advisor to Colin Fewer, the province’s current best road racer.

He was a founder of Athletics Northeast Club, presently the province’s most successful running club and continues as its coach. He works and gives clinics at the Running Room, the local outlet of Canada’s best-known chain of running stores.