Boston played a role in my journey to become an ultra runner just as Wigwam has. The only race requiring a qualifying time to gain entry induced me to become a competitive runner and grab a piece of history in the process.
To reach the start line in Hopkinton, MA I was required to meet a standard of 2 hour and 50 minutes. The second marathon I ran I took my time from 3:16 down to 2:57 and in my third attempt I ran 2:50:29, both at Milwaukee’s Lakefront Marathon, on what I believe to be the fastest course I have ever run on. I could have gone to Boston with that time, but I felt it had to be 2:50 or less. The following year I ran a 2:49 something at Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, MN, in June, to qualify for the first time. I returned to Milwaukee in October and lowered it to 2:38:47 and have qualified for Boston every year since that 1983 PR.
My first of six Boston’s took place on April 16, 1984. The first time you do anything is usually the most special, but every finish there has been memorable in its own way. My wife, Gail and daughter Chris were along and that is most unforgettable. It was the first time my daughter was in an airplane and the time we spent looking around Boston and its historic treasures was awesome. I also had a good run there in the low 2:40s and was Wisconsin’s top finisher that year. When we arrived at the airport we were greeted with a large banner held by family members and then we went out for dinner at a German restaurant and I told about my trip. One of the highlights was having my name mentioned on TV by the race announcer Greg Meyer, who had won in 1983. When I got back to the room, where my daughter was watching the race on TV, she told me to call home—something about being in second place. I reassured my sister-in-law, Sandee, the only time I had been in second place was waiting my turn in the porta-potty line.
As it turned out I was wearing bib number 935 and the brother of a man trying to qualify for the Olympic team of his country, entered late and was given number 5935. He ran off the shoulder of the eventual winner, British runner Geoff Smith. Not able to see the complete number as he drafted off Smith, I was mistakenly credited with running in second place for much of the race, and it was mentioned on TV several times, until Domingo Tibadueza, and elite Columbian runner lost ground and his number became completely visible.
At the 2009 event I had the good fortune of being introduced to Tim Kilduff, the president of the Hopkinton Athletic Association (H.A.A.) by my hosts Betsy and Dave Krueger of Hopkinton. He in turn introduced me to Dimitri Kyriakides, the son of 1946 Boston Marathon winner Stylianos, the Greek who not only won the 50th running, but also called attention to the world community of the 7 million starving countrymen for whom he had won the marathon. Dimitri was representing Spyros Zagaris, the mayor of Marathon and promoting the Athens Marathon and he extended an invitation to have me join the celebration in 2010, the 2500th anniversary of a Greek messenger announcing, “Rejoice, we have conquered” and then dying.
I have more stories to tell about my Boston experiences and will share them in my next article.