News of his death was reported on his official Web site on Sunday.

In 1926, when he was barely 20, Miles came out of nowhere and flew through the finish line at the Boston Marathon, shattering international and Boston record marks.

``Yeah, I surprised a few people that day,'' he told the Hamilton Spectator in an interview on his 95th birthday.

The sports world was certain the marathon winner would be Clarence DeMar, who went on to win the race five times, or Olympic champion Altin Steneroos.

But Miles led the pack, finishing in 2:25.40.4, a full four minutes ahead of the runner-up. The time record would stand for years.

He won wearing a pair of 95-cent sneakers he bought at a local store in his home town of Sydney Mines, N.S., and a homemade jersey featuring a red Maple Leaf.

Born in Halifax, England, on Oct. 30, 1905, Miles moved with his family to Cape Breton the following year.

He worked as a grocery delivery boy at the time of his big win. But his first job was as a young teen in the Cape Breton coal mines. He went to work there to help support his family when his father went off to fight in the First World War.

Miles left the mines a few years later and entered his first contest _ a three-mile race in Sydney, N.S. _ with the hopes of winning some fishing supplies. He didn't win but continued to hone his skill by running behind a horse-drawn carriage.

After his success in 1926, Miles went on to run in the Boston Marathon three more times, winning it again in 1929, two years after he moved to Hamilton to train for the 1930 British Empire Games.

He represented Canada twice in the Olympics before retiring from competition and taking a job at International Harvester.

Miles was inducted into three halls of fame _ one in Ontario and two in Nova Scotia.

``I don't know what all the fuss is about,'' Miles told the Spectator. ``I had a God-given gift and I used it.''

News of his death was also announced Sunday in New Glasgow, N.S., during the annual Johnny Miles Marathon, a qualifying event for the Boston Marathon.

Miles was predeceased by his wife Bess.

Funeral arrangement details weren't available. (Hamilton Spectator, Halifax Chronicle-Herald)