Born in Murragh, Cork, Ireland. Lordan was trained by fellow Cantabridgian Tad Gormley. He did not finish the competition.
He was an Irish immigrant who worked as a shipping agent for a manufacturing company in Cambridge.
He trained at night only because of his job.
After finishing fifth in 1901 and third in 1902, Lordan finished ahead of Sammy Mellor and Michael Spring to win the 1903 Boston Marathon, At the 1904 Summer Olympics, condition were very warm during the marathon and Lordon was reported to have begun vomiting within the first half mile of the race. A monument was erected in his home town, Bandon, Company Cork, to commemorate his victory in the Boston Marathon of 1903.
