109th Boston Marathon

This year’s Boston Marathon held memories, broken records, and a transfer of power. The world’s oldest marathon was held on Patriot’s Day for the 109th time, with 20,453 runners. Unfortunately, there was one conspicuous absence, for the first time, and that was Boston Marathon staple Johnny Kelley, the “Marathon Man.” Kelley was honored numerous times during, before, and after the race. “Young at Heart,” despite Kelley’s absence-he died this year at age 97-was played before the race, and 1985 winner Jacqueline Gareau, the famous second-place runner to cheater Rosie Ruiz, participated as grand marshal in place of Kelley. (She rode a car to Back Bay and ran to the finish line, breaking the tape). Kelley’s bib #61 was retired as well. He won two times, placed second a record seven times, and ran a grand total of 61 times in the marathon. There was nothing sentimental about the race, however. The competitors ran hard, and Kenyan Catherine Ndereba kept her country’s, and her own stranglehold by winning for the women in 2 hours, 25 minutes, 12 seconds (unofficially). She became the first woman to win the Boston Marathon four times, beating out Ethiopian Elfenesh Alemu by 1:52. Ethiopian Hailu Negussie won for the men in the unofficial time of 2:11:45, breaking the 13-of-14 marathon monopoly Kenyans have had on the men’s race. He won $100,000 for his efforts, well-deserved after placing fifth last year. Repeat winners won the wheelchair competition, with Ernst Van Dyk of South Africa winning for the fifth consecutive time, and Cheri Blauwet of California taking the victory for her second year in a row. The latter won in 1:47:45, while Van Dyk won in 1:24:11. They each blew away the competition, with Van Dyk winning by nearly six minutes and Blauwet by just over three. Van Dyk is the first man to win the wheelchair competition five times in a row.Temperatures were 70 degrees in Hopkinton, at the start of the 26.2 mile race. Four aid stations were set up to help runners having trouble with the heat between the marathon’s starting gun and Back Bay.