Marshall “Major” Taylor: Cycling Champion & Trailblazer

        Marshall “Major” Taylor (1878–1932) was one of the most remarkable athletes of the early 20th century—a world-champion cyclist, a record-breaking sprinter, and a pioneer for racial equality in professional sports. Born in Indianapolis to a large working-class family, Taylor would go on to challenge—and overcome—barriers that extended far beyond the track.

  From Trick Rider to World Champion

       Taylor’s nickname “Major” came from his childhood job performing bicycle tricks outside a bike shop while dressed in a military-style jacket. His natural athleticism and flair quickly caught the attention of cycling enthusiasts, and by his late teens, he was dominating amateur races in Indiana and beyond.

       He turned professional in 1896 and, within just a few years, had become the most famous Black athlete in America—known not just for his speed, but for his discipline, grace, and composure under pressure. In 1899, Taylor won the 1-mile sprint at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Montreal, Canada, becoming the first African American world champion in cycling, and just the second Black athlete to win a world title in any sport. 

     He would go on to set multiple world records and win dozens of professional races across the United States, Europe, and Australia.

 Competing Against Racism

     Taylor’s career unfolded during the height of the Jim Crow era. He was often banned from races outright, denied lodging, and threatened by fellow racers who tried to block or injure him on the track. Despite these obstacles, Taylor consistently proved himself on the world stage—not only as a champion, but as a model of integrity. He refused to retaliate with violence, instead choosing discipline, faith, and sportsmanship. He wrote in his autobiography:

        “My success should demonstrate to all young Americans that it is possible to achieve the highest ambitions and the greatest dreams.”

  Life After Racing

       Taylor retired from competitive racing in 1910. Though he had earned a small fortune through his career, a series of failed investments and the economic crash of 1929 left him in financial hardship. He spent his final years in obscurity and died in 1932 in a charity hospital in Chicago at the age of 53.

       In 1948, a group of fellow cyclists and executives from the Schwinn Bicycle Company arranged for Taylor to be reburied with honors at Mount Glenwood Cemetery (Glenwood, IL.), where his monument now reads:

        "World's champion bicycle racer who came up the hard way without hatred in his heart, an honest, courageous and God-fearing, clean-living gentlemanly athlete. A credit to his race who always gave out his best. Gone but not forgotten."

 His Enduring Legacy

      Marshall “Major” Taylor is now recognized as a trailblazer in both sports and civil rights. His life is a testament to perseverance, dignity, and excellence in the face of injustice. Today, his name lives on through:

• The Major Taylor Velodrome in Indianapolis
• The Major Taylor Trail in Chicago
• Dozens of Major Taylor Cycling Clubs across the U.S. that promote inclusion and fitness in diverse communities

 Learn More

• The Fastest Bicycle Rider in the World (Taylor’s 1928 autobiography)
• Major Taylor Association, Inc., dedicated to recognizing sportsmanship, promoting nonviolence, and caring for those less fortunate.
• Major Taylor, from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
• The World’s Fastest Man by Michael Kranish, a modern biography chronicling Taylor's global impact