The Wood Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame is proud to introduce a new chapter in its history since its founding in 2007 with the creation of the Pioneer Award.
The Pioneer Award recognizes former sports personalities who called Fort McMurray home for a period prior to 1980 and achieved notable success during that time.
The inaugural recipient of this award is runner Arthur Taylor, who resided in Fort McMurray during the late 1970s and achieved remarkable accomplishments:
1976
- Sets the first of five World Records in middle- and long-distance running.
1978
- Becomes the first 50-year-old to break the 2:30:00 marathon barrier, finishing in 2:23:01—a world record that would stand for 25 years.
- Taylor places second in the Fort McMurray Rugby Club 10-Mile Road Race, clocking 59:30. Remarkable when you consider the first place went to the relay team of Adrian Shorter, Dennis Zacher, Gerry Breneman, Walter Paish, and Udo Spitzer, finishing in 58:00.
1979
At the Edmonton Journal Invitational Indoor Games, 52-year-old Taylor sets a world record in the Masters Mile, running 4:51.52.
The Wood Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame celebrates Taylor’s extraordinary achievements and his lasting impact on the local sports community during the October 4, 2025 Multi Sports Award Banquet.
