Remembering the Boston Marathon: Triumph in 2014

 

The 118^th Boston Marathon, held on Monday, April 21, 2014, was arguably the most inspiring marathon of modern times, coming as it did one year after the 2013 terrorist bombings at the finish line.
Relive this marathon triumph as a tribute to what the marathon will be again in the future whenever the health czars feel like letting us live our lives again without being stuck in our virtual purgatory that is severely harming everyone’s mental health.
CLARIFICATION: Although I have run 17 marathons, as mentioned in the column below, finishing all but one, in my younger days, starting in December of 1976 and ending in April of 1996, I only ran two of those in Boston: in 1977 as a "bandit" or unofficial runner and in 1996 as a lottery marathoner ---- one of the lucky runners who won an official number courtesy of winning a Boston Athletic Association lottery to gain entry into the race.
Of my other 15 marathons, three were in New York City (1982, 1983 and 1987); one (my first) was in Baltimore; five were in the old Newport Marathon (1979, 1985, 1986, 1990 and 1991); one was over two-thirds of the Boston Marathon course in something called the Silver Lake Marathon sponsored by a car company in Wellesley in February of 1977; two were in Florida (Melbourne in November of 1977 and Gainesville in February of 1979); one in Dallas-Fort Worth Texas in February of 1983; and one in the Ocean State Marathon when it moved the race from Newport to a Warwick-Providence course in November of 1992).
The only marathon that netted a "DNF" (Did Not Finish)" happened on Dec. 30, 1977, in Atlanta, when, while running a very hilly course on a raw, rainy day, I became miserably lost at about the 18-mile mark and ran several miles off course. I got lost when the only markings on the course were written in chalk on the road and got washed away! When I arrived back at the 18-mile mark after running at least 6 more miles, I had actually gone at least 24 miles and decided to drop out. That was number 17, and the only marathon that I didn't finish.

This column was published in The Sun Chronicle of Attleboro, MA, on Wednesday, April 23, 2014:

“Finish: Everyone's screaming on Boylston Street. For all the right reasons. 36,000 sweaty, tearful, exuberant reasons. #26Tweets2Boston.”

That was the Tweet of Bill Kole, the former Sun Chronicle reporter and now Associated Press New England bureau chief, upon finishing his goals – both running and Tweeting – at Monday’s 118^th Boston Marathon. His ambitious project – training for a marathon, running it and Tweeting along the way – didn’t come as a surprise to his former colleagues. Kole always has been a consummate pro and a nice guy. I know that, because he’d join me on my afternoon jogs when he was here even though he was the superior runner. Now, almost 25 years later, we’ve each run the same number of marathons (17), mine coming in a 20-year stretch that ended in 1996. But even though my last marathon, in Boston, seems like an eternity ago, my love for the event remains strong. So it’s a pleasure to pay tribute to Kole’s success with these 26.2 “mini thoughts” about Monday’s race:
1. If the Red Sox season last year was the “worst-to-first” campaign, then this marathon should be known as going from the worst outcome to one of the best.
2. “Tragedy to Triumph” and “Heartbreak to Heartwarming” would work, too.
3. You know every runner and the million spectators had to have 2013 on their minds, at least until after 2:49 p.m.
4. They’d never acknowledge it, but it was a very gutsy decision to run. It’s a tribute to the running community that most of them made that commitment to return on April 15, 2013.
5. The Boston Athletic Association (BAA) is to be commended for pulling this off.
6. How classy is the BAA? It wasted little time after last year in letting the 5,000 runners who couldn’t finish after the course was shut have a guaranteed entry.
7. The ongoing tributes to the families of 8-year-old Martin Richard, Boston University graduate student Lingzi Lu and University of Massachusetts-Boston student Krystle Campbell, who were killed, and to MIT Police Officer Sean Collier, killed by the suspects later in the week, remain heartfelt.
8. The resiliency of the more than 260 people who were injured, including so many who lost their limbs, and of MBTA Police Officer Richard Donahue, who was hurt in the shootout with the suspects, continues to inspire.
9. The number of people who participated in the marathon with artificial limbs is an astounding tribute to the fortitude and determination of those people and their caregivers not to let the 2013 bombings define the Boston Marathon.
10. Hats off to the Bruins and Red Sox for their most recent marathon tributes.
11. Make fun of Vice President Joe Biden all you want, but his speech last Tuesday was from the heart.
12. Even Boston-to-Hollywood megastar and writer Ben Affleck couldn’t have written a better script for 2014: The first American winner in 31 years (Greg Meyer won it 2:09 flat in 1983) in Meg Keflezighi of California and a course record for women’s winner Rita Jeptoo of Kenya, whose 2:18:57 made her a back-to-back champ and a three-time women’s winner.
13. The times in both the men’s and women’s races were historic, but for different reasons: the men’s race was among the closest in race history and the women’s race was the fastest in Boston history.
14. Keflezighi won one of the closest Boston Marathons since Alberto Salazar beat Dick Beardsley in the heat by 2 seconds in 1982, 2:08:52 to 2:08:54. Keflezighi won in 2:08:37, a mere 11 seconds ahead of Wilson Chebet of Kenya and 13 seconds ahead of third-place finisher Frankline Chepkwony, also of Kenya.
15. Jeptoo, as well as second- and third-place winners Buzunesh Deba (2:19:59) and Mare Dibaba (2:20:35), both of Ethiopia, also broke the old women’s course record, while Jeptoo and Buzunesh became the first women to break the 2:20-mark in Boston.
16. Thanks to the almost ideal weather for runners and spectators, Keflezighi fared better than did Salazar, who collapsed at the finish due to the heat and had to be treated intravenously. He was never the same runner after that.
17. Keflezighi, who won New York in 2009 and the silver medal in the 2004 Olympics, was positively ebullient, as he fell to the ground and did a few push-ups before jogging along the finish line area.
18. The winner put on a hug-fest. One of those he hugged was Meyer. Keflezighi seemed to have enough energy left to do a half-marathon warm-down.
19. Every year, I’m amazed that humans can run that fast without stopping over 26.2 miles. This year, given the anxiety they might have felt, I’m especially in awe of these incredible athletes.
20. I gave Keflezighi a standing ovation while watching at home after his finish.
21. Three-time Boston Marathon winner (1978-80), hometown boy Bill Rodgers, must be proud.
22. Class all around would be the best way to describe Keflezighi, who will be 39 in two weeks. He was as humble as can be in his post-race remarks and in tears while the “Star-Spangled Banner” played.
23. A shout-out to Attleboro High School dean Martin Tighe, who had an amazing day, winning the 55-59 age group in 2:41:38.
24. Another shout-out to all of the area runners – and there were hundreds – who ran for a charity or with the Wampanoag Road Runners.
25. One last shout-out to DB Sports owner Kevin Downing, a true “sole man.” He not only sells shoes; he runs in them, too.
26. Congrats to Team Hoyt. The running legends wanted to end their marathon career last year, but returned after the bombings cut their race short. They finished to loud applause Monday.
26.2. God may not be a Red Sox or Yankee fan, but can there be any doubt that He’s a Boston Marathon fan after blessing the 2014 race?