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The Marathon: A Legendary Challenge
| Article
# : |
11029 |
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Section : |
LIFE
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| Issue
Date : |
6 / 1986 |
1,278 Words |
| Author
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Nancy Lee Fernas
Nancy Lee Fernas is a free-lance writer and associate editor
of Mercury Magazine, a publication of the Los Angeles Athletic
Club. |
When it comes to legends, Phidippides, the off fabled Greek messenger of marathon fame who lived nearly 2,500 years ago in Greece, couldn't hold a candle to his modern-day counter part, Johnny A. Kelley of east Dennis, Massachusetts.
Not, at least, if longevity is a factor.
At 78 years of age, Kelley ran his 55th Boston Marathon on April 25. He won the race twice, in 1935 and 1945; took second place seven times; placed in the top 10 nineteen times; and crossed the finish line a record 52 times.
"More than any other runner," wrote Hal Higdon in The Marathoners, "Johnny Kelley symbolizes the spirit of the Boston Marathon. The knobby-kneed veteran will not quit."
"I love running. I love Boston. And I love the fans," Kelley said recently from his New England home. "I couldn't imagine myself not training for the race. I certainly have the time, so why not train."
The Boston Marathon, which is the oldest annual marathon in world, has been the perennial focus of Kelley's life since he was 17 years old. His fiery determination and unwavering discipline have served as inspiration for thousands of runners, young and old, through the past five decades. To Kelley, running the marathon is not merely a hobby, it is the centerpiece of his life. "It keeps me alive!" he said.
The event recently drew approximately 4,700 official runners, and, as usual, thousands of
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