Meat me at Morton's

Party on Wayne, Party on Garth.

Party at Morton's in Boston on Friday, March 30 from 6 -9pm. There will be hor d'oeuvres, cocktails and a raffle. Proceeds from the event benefit ReadBoston. For more info, contact Dina Trueheart at 617.266.5108.

For those out-of-towners who haven't been to Morton's Boston, but will be around Marathon weekend, I highly recommend visiting for a steak, your favorite cocktail, and save room for the Godiva Chocolate cake. Make a reservation now--I'm sure they're packed on Marathon Weekend--especially post-Marathon! Oh, you need directions? You'll pass the restaurant just before crossing the finish line on Boylston St., right across from the library!

Alan Culpepper talks about the 2006 Boston Marathon

Hear what US marathoner Alan Culpepper had to say after last year's Boston Marathon.

Culpepper came in 5th (2:11:02).

http://www.cbs4denver.com/video/?id=16074@kcnc.dayport.com

I can't live without my radio

The Marathon Amateur Radio Consortium is now accepting sign-ups for the 2007 Boston Marathon Amateur Radio Team. Radio operators are needed to support safety and security operations at the Start, Finish, and along the route.

If you are interested in helping out, please visit their website at http://marc.amateur-radio.net/and complete the simple 2-step sign-up process.

A different kind of Boston Marathon

Any theater buffs out there? If so, here's something you might want to put on your calendar for after the Boston Marathon, and you have a little extra time on your Sundays (no long runs for a while, right?)

Check out The Boston Theater Marathon. It's a "ten-hour marathon of 50 new ten-minute plays by local authors, each one produced by a different New England professional theatre company, all performed in one place in one amazing day."

The 9th Annual Boston Theater Marathon will be held May 20, 2007 in the Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts at 527 Tremont St. First play starts at noon.

Click here for more info.

Quote of the day

'Dad, when I run it feels like my disability disappears.'

-Rick Hoyt, the message he typed on his computer after his first race in a wheelchair
pushed by his father, Dick.


Last year, the Hoyts completed their 25th Boston Marathon.

For more on the Hoyts visit http://www.teamhoyt.com/

The Shortest Distance Between Two Points

How far will you run at the Boston Marathon?
The distance could be more than you think.

This piece is from a 1997 article by UltraRUNNING Magazine publisher and editor Don Allison. For the complete article, click here.

-----

Although the marathon distance is only 26 miles and 385 yards, most people run a longer distance than this on race day.

These folks are not looking for extra credit, rather they are following a more circuitous route than race officials have determined to be the actual distance. Course measures assume a runner will run the shortest possible distance between two points, in this case being the Hopkinton town green and the Boston Public Library. To run the shortest route, one would have to "cut the tangents," basic geometry that results in running directly across the street where the road curves. Needless to say, most runners in the pack are simply concerned with moving forward, paying little attention to the tangents. Running the short route necessitates paying attention to the road ahead and having enough available space to move across the road unimpeded. Route 135 through Ashland, Framingham, and Natick curves considerably, allowing an alert marathoner to save precious distance.

Defending Champs to run Boston

2006 Boston Marathon champions Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot and Rita Jeptoo have announced they will defend their titles at the 111th running of the race on April 16,2007.

The top contenders in the men's group include Hailu Negussie of Ethiopia, the men's 2005 champion. Negussie will lead the charge having won the race in 2005, when he brought the title back to Ethiopia after a 16-year hiatus dominated by Kenyan wins. Accepting the opportunity to challenge Cheruiyot's course record of 2:07:14, Negussie said, "Once again I am eager and happy to run in the Boston Marathon, among the greatest marathons in the world and my favorite place." One of his country's most promising marathoners, Negussie has also won the Hofu Marathon in Japan twice and the Xiamen International Marathon in China.

Joining Negussie are 2006 runner-up Benjamin Maiyo and 2004 runner-up Robert Cheboror, both of Kenya. Maiyo is highly motivated to notch his first career win at Boston this year having also finished second at the Chicago Marathon and second in Los Angeles in 2005. Cheboror will pose a threat returning to the race as one of the fastest marathoners of all time with a 2:06:23 win in Amsterdam in 2004. Last year he finished second in Hamburg and fifth in Chicago.

Another top contender with Boston experience is Stephen Kiogora who will challenge the runners-up as will 2005 Berlin Marathon Champion Philip Manyim. Kiogora recently finished second at the 2006 New York City Marathon and Manyim brings 2:07 speed to the line.

In the women's race, defending champion Rita Jeptoo of Kenya will face 2006 Boston runner-up Jelena Prokopcuka of Latvia who already announced her commitment to run and 2003 runner-up Lyubov Denisova of Russia.

Last year Prokopcuka missed the top spot by 10 seconds, the narrowest margin in race history. She has won the New York City Marathon the past two years and is the current leader of the World Marathon Majors Series. Denisova comes into the race fresh from a course record win at the difficult Honolulu Marathon this past December. She is also a two-time champion of the Los Angeles Marathon.

Top contenders expected to challenge these women are American record holder Deena Kastor who was announced earlier, and Madai Perez of Mexico. Kastor ran the fastest time in the world last year with her 2:19:36 London Marathon win, and Perez established her country's mark of 2:22:59 at the 2006 Chicago Marathon.



Source: John Hancock Financial Services

Ladies & Gentlemen, Bill Rodgers

A key tip on running Boston is to prepare by doing lots of downhill running. Another is to race cautiously in the 1st 15 miles and save your strength for the Boston hills (and their wonderful downhills!); conserve energy to be conscious of the world's greatest Marathon fans and their applause!

My favorite memory of Boston is winning in '75 in the fastest time in the world that year, the 4th fastest run to that point, and also a new American record; it was an honor. What meant a lot was that my brother Charlie, who I started running with, my coach Billy Squires, and my mentor at Wesleyan University who taught me about the marathon, Amby Burfoot--who took Boston in '68--were with me to celebrate. Victory is sweet.

Bill

Thanks Bill. If you're interested in a copy of the print above by artist Andrew Yelenak click here

Happy Days

Sunday, Monday, Happy Days

Tuesday, Wednesday, Happy Days

Thursday, Friday, Happy Days

The weekend comes

My cycle hums

Ready to race to you
These days are ours

Happy and free (Oh, Happy Days)

These days are ours

Share them with me (Oh, baby)

Goodbye grey sky, hello blue

There's nothing can hold me when I hold you

Feels so right, it can't be wrong

Rockin' and rollin' all week long

Ok, enough of that. Here's a highlight video of the 1959 Boston Marathon.
Be patient - it may take a little while for the video to load. Sit on it Postsie!

Enjoy. Click here

Coming tomorrow: 4-time Boston Marathon Champion Bill Rodgers provides a few tips on running Boston as well as his favorite Marathon memory. Don't miss it!

Did you say Boston or Austin Scream Tunnel?

Yesterday, the famous Wellesley "Scream Tunnel" of the Boston Marathon made an appearance at the Austin Marathon.

As you may know, Wellesley College is located at mile 13 of the Boston Marathon. Many stories have been written about the Wellesley women who create a "Scream Tunnel" every year that lifts runners spirits through the halfway point of the marathon.

For the Austin Marathon, the Austin Wellesley Club was granted a water stop at North Loop and McCandless to cheer on the runners. I can't imagine it being louder than the real Scream Tunnel in Wellesley--one of the most greatest experiences in running--but nice job Wellesley alumni--way to bring a little taste of Boston to Austin.

To learn more about the Austin Marthon, click here.
To read more about the real Boston Marathon Wellesley Scream Tunnel, click here.

Boston Marathon Quiz

Which country had the most finishers in the 2006 Boston Marathon?

a) Korea
b) Germany
c) United Kingdom

Check the comments section for answer.

Hansons-Brooks Distance Project to Return to Boston Marathon

Over the past seven years, the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project of Rochester, Mich., has emerged as the preeminent marathon training group in the nation.

Nowhere was this status more obvious than at the 2006 Boston Marathon, when men from the Hansons program took the city by storm, placing fourth, 10th, 11th, 15th, 18th, 19th and 22nd.

All five Hansons-Brooks women will return in two months to compete in the 2007 Boston Marathon. Melissa White (2:39:21 PR), Dot McMahan (2:43:27 PR) and Yolanda Flamino (2:45:19 PR) have already run U.S. Olympic Team Trials qualifying standards, while Desiree Davila (debut) and Kelly Stewart (2:58:21 PR) will be attempting to qualify for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Boston. The women will be competing for overall Boston Marathon prize money and a separate prize money purse for U.S. women.

Accompanying the team to Boston this week will be Hansons-Brooks co-founders Keith and Kevin Hanson. The brothers, who own a chain of running shoe stores in Michigan, founded the Distance Project in 2000 with the goal of giving something back to the sport. They now own several houses for the team, and provide travel, coaching and part-time jobs for 22 athletes.



Source: B.A.A.

438 Pound Man to Run Boston Marathon

Jacob Seilheimer, a 438 lb. beekeeper from Wisconsin, aims to tackle the world's most grueling marathon.

Jacob Seilheimer, a Wisconsin-bred beekeeper, is doing what others claim is impossible. At a jaw-dropping 438 lbs, he has vowed to lose 100 pounds and run the Boston Marathon -- with only 3 months of training.

Equipped with his trusty sidekick, an exercise bike named "Savage Henry", Jacob has committed himself to a strict regimen of diet and exercise. He is inviting the outside world to view his journey at his refreshingly honest website, www.whatwouldjacobdo.com.

“I'd like to take people inside the life of a morbidly obese person,” says Jacob Seilheimer. “Just for a moment, imagine what it's like go to a restaurant and worry if the chair you're about to sit in is going to collapse or in order to weigh yourself, you have to go to a meat-packing plant and use a commercial-grade scale or even just walking out your front door, little kids across the street point at you and laugh. Welcome to my life.”

Trapped in a downward spiral of depression, the gentle giant, affectionately known as "The Bear," knew that serious illness or an early death would soon coming knocking at his door if he continued down this path. Fed up with the endless barrage of insults and looks of disgust, he is taking a stand, and so far has lost 40 pounds on his way to running the Boston Marathon.

Many have shown their support for Jacob's efforts on his website, while others aren't so kind. Jacob publishes comments from both sides, along with weekly videos of his training regimen, a blog of little victories along the way, as well as the pain of many setbacks.

Jacob is also chronicling his journey for four different charities: Make a Wish Foundation, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the American Cancer Society and Special Olympics.

While the jury is still out on his ability to finish the race, one thing is for sure. The sheer girth of this man is only matched by the size of his heart.

Most Influential People & Events - #7 of 7

Back In November '06, Runner's World had an article on the forty most influential people and moments in running over the past forty years. Over the next few posts you'll learn which seven people/moments that made the list are directly connected to the Boston Marathon. And now the last moment, but certainly not least...#7!

1972

First Boston Marathon to Welcome Women

Women ran Boston before - Switizer, Gibb - but in 1972 Boston finally bowed to aggressive lobbying and allowed women to officially enter the race. Nina Kuscsik was the first official champ (3:10:26).

Most Influential People & Events - #6 of 7

Back In November '06, Runner's World had an article on the forty most influential people and moments in running over the past forty years.

Over the next few posts you'll learn which seven people/moments that made the list are directly connected to the Boston Marathon. Only one more after today...

1970
First Boston Marathon with a Qualifying Time

Hoping to narrow the field, Boston Marathon organizers required all runners to have run a sub- four-hour marathon. It did nothing to diminish the numbers so the bar was raised to 3:30 and then adjusted again to reflect age and gender. To this day, Boston is the gold standard in marathons because of qualifying times. "Before qualifying times, there was nothing definitive to shoot for," says Dave McGillivray, Boston's race director.




Source: Runner World Nov 06

Most Influential People & Events - #5 of 7

Back In November '06, Runner's World had an article on the forty most influential people and moments in running over the past forty years. Over the next few posts you'll learn which seven people/moments that made the list are directly connected to the Boston Marathon. Here's #5...

Johnny A. Kelley

Nobody embodied the phrase "young at heart" better than Johnny Kelley. Runner's World put him on the list because Johnny refused to let age slow him down. The man, the legend ran Boston 61 times--- and finished 58 of them! He won Boston twice and finished in the top 5 fifteen times.

"These days, half the field is over 40," says Boston Marathon race director Dave McGillivray." Johnny proved that it could be done."

Johnny died in 2004 at the age of 97.

Most Influential People & Events - #4 of 7

Back In November '06, Runner's World had an article on the forty most influential people and moments in running over the past forty years. Over the next few posts you'll learn which seven people/moments that made the list are directly connected to the Boston Marathon. Here's #4...

Alberto Salazar

Now I know many of you would say Alberto is Mr. NYC Marathon. And he is. And that's one of the many reasons why Runner's World put him on their list. But I'm including him here for being part of the famous "Duel in the Sun" Boston Marathon in April 1982 when he and Dick Beardsley ran neck and neck for 26 miles before Alberto pulled ahead at the finish to win by a mere two seconds. And one more thing: he grew up in Wayland, MA!

Most Influential People & Events - #3 of 7

Back In November '06, Runner's World had an article on the forty most influential people and moments in running over the past forty years. Over the next few posts you'll learn which seven people/moments that made the list are directly connected to the Boston Marathon. Here's #3...

Rosie Ruiz "Wins" the Boston Marathon

Things that make you go hmmm: Without Rosie, would we have the ChampionChip, a computerized tracking system introduced in 1996?

Back in 1980, it took one whole week before organizers realized that Rosie jumped in the race at the final half mile. After the Rosie incident, race organizers set up video cameras and checkpoints along the course to make sure something like that would never happen again. Cheaters never win. And winners never cheat.

Most Influential People & Events - #2 of 7

Back In November '06, Runner's World had an article on the forty most influential people and moments in running over the past forty years. Over the next few posts you'll learn which seven people/moments that made the list are directly connected to the Boston Marathon. Here's #2...

Bill Rodgers

Bill Rodgers. The name is synonymous with the Boston Marathon. When the running boom hit in the 1970s, "Boston Billy" was like a rock star to those who got caught up in the sport. "It's hard for everyone, the way I look at it," Rodgers said. "Everybody pays the price and feels the fatigue. I understand the feeling runners have when they're struggling."

Most Influential People & Events - #1 of 7

Back In November '06, Runner's World had an article on the forty most influential people and moments in running over the past forty years. Over the next few posts you'll learn which seven people/moments that made the list are directly connected to the Boston Marathon.

#1 of 7

Kathrine Switzer

"I knew that women were capable of running marathons if they were only given the opportunity," Switzer says. Switzer, who officially--if illegally-- finished the 1967 Boston Marathon after dodging Jock Semple's attempts to rip off her bib number, changed everything. Her finish in Boston was just the beginning for women's marathoning.

Boston Marathon Quiz

Who has the most Boston Marathon victories?

a) Cosmos Ndeti
b) Bill Rodgers
c) John A. Kelly
d) Clarence DeMar
e) Eino Oksanen

Check the comments section for answer.

Fact or Fiction?

The Happy Swallow is a bar in Framingham along the Boston Marathon course.

Owner Pete Phylis said one time a marathoner stopped in for a quick drink, ran out the door, ran another block or so, turned around and went back to the bar and ordered something with a little more kick. The runner didn't leave the bar until closing.

Heartbreak Hill

lyrics by emmylou harris/paul kennerley

Now I know, that you know, she's not singing about that little incline in Newton. But hey, I'm always on the lookout for something a little different that ties in somehow with the world's greatest marathon. And maybe, just maybe this song can help you soar over that big bad hill on April 16. Listen to it on amazon (disc 2, track 19) or search itunes.

Long, long time ago
When we were young
You swore to me
I'll be the one.

I'll be the one you love
But we had to part
You asked me to wait for you
And keep you in my heart.
Keep you in my heart.

Night after lonely night
I'm waitin' for you still
High above the lights of town
Here on Heartbreak Hill.

Now maybe I'm the foolish kind
To hold you so long
Have you found another love
Am I still the one?

Am I still the one for you
But you're far away
Do you ever dream
Of comin' back to me someday?
Back to me someday.

Night after lonely night
I'm waitin' for you still
High above the lights of town
Here on Heartbreak Hill.

Heartbreak Hill alone at night
I'm thinkin' how you held me tight
And one day if I ever will
See you again on Heartbreak Hill.

--- Instrumental ---

Oh Lord, if I only could go
Back in time I know
I'd hold you in my arms again
And never let you go.

Never let you go my love
Or leave you far behind
High upon this lonely hill
Where you swore to be mine
You swore to be mine.

Night after lonely night
I'm waitin' for you still
High above the lights of town
Here on Heartbreak Hill.

Night after lonely night
I'm waitin' for you still
High above the lights of town
Here on Heartbreak Hill.

Here on Heartbreak Hill.
Here on Heartbreak Hill...

Super Bowl leftovers

Did you know...
In terms of on-site media coverage, the Boston Marathon ranks behind only the Super Bowl as the largest single day sporting event in the world. More than 1,100 media members receive credentials annually.

Boston Marathon Trophy

In December 1999, the B.A.A. and marathon sponsor Long’s Jewelers commissioned Reed & Barton Silversmiths to create the first permanent, Boston Marathon Champions’ Trophy for the B.A.A.

The trophy is a 40 1/2 inch sterling silver loving cup, secured to a two-tier mahogany base. The base is adorned with 100 sterling silver plaques, which will showcase the next 100 years of marathon champions in the male and female open, wheelchair and masters divisions. The trophy was unveiled at an official ceremony at Boston's John Hancock Observatory prior to Boston Marathon 2000.

In 2001, Reed and Barton Silversmiths created an additional base to the existing trophy for the names of the previous 104 years’ champions, bringing the total height to 47 1/2 inches on a base 32 inches square. In addition, they provide six replica trophies annually for the divisional winners of the Marathon.

Founded in Taunton, Massachusetts in 1824, Reed and Barton Silversmiths has a longstanding history of creating trophies and medals for national and international sporting events.

Quote of the day

"I know I've never been so beaten up after a marathon as I was after Boston in 1982. I don't think it was because it was the fastest 2:08:54 marathon I've ever run. I think the course just... took a lot out of me."

-Dick Beardsley, who finished second to Alberto Salazar in what many believe was the best-ever Boston Marathon

B.A.A. to Send Top U.S. Marathoners to Japan

For 32 years, the Boston Marathon and the Ohme-Hochi 30K in Japan have enjoyed a close relationship. Each year, top Americans from Boston travel to Japan to compete while top Japanese finishers from Ohme run the Boston Marathon.

This year, the B.A.A. will be sending six of last year's top finishers in the Boston Marathon to compete in Ohme on February 4. Peter Gilmore will be running the 30-kilometer race for the second time where he will be joined by five members of the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project: Luke Humphrey, Chad Johnson, Kyle O'Brien, Brian Sell and Clint Verran.

The B.A.A. – Ohme exchange program dates back to 1976, when Bill Rodgers won Ohme, and Tom Fleming placed second. Among the many top Boston Marathon finishers to compete in Ohme are Miki Gorman (1974 and 1977 Boston champion) and Greg Meyer (1983 Boston and Ohme champion). Gilmore was the B.A.A.'s 2006 representative in Ohme, following his 10th-place finish in the 2005 Boston Marathon. After placing fourth in the Japanese race with a time of 1:32:56, Gilmore returned to Boston where he moved up to seventh, with a personal best time of 2:12:45.

The Hansons-Brooks Distance Project, a Michigan-based team founded and coached by brothers Keith and Kevin Hanson, brought eight athletes to the 2006 Boston Marathon, and six finished in the top 20 places. Brian Sell led the way with a stellar fourth-place finish (2:10:55). He was followed by Verran (10th, 2:14:12), Humphrey (11th, 2:15:23), Johnson (15th, 2:19:29), and O'Brien (18th, 2:19:57).

Sending the group to Japan is part of the B.A.A.'s ongoing American Development Program, which will culminate with the U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Women's Marathon, to be held in Boston on April 20, 2008.





Source: B.A.A.

Mmmmm...beef

An olive wreath, a load of cash and a bowl of beef stew go to the winner of the Boston Marathon.

Here's the Boston recipe dating from 1970 when this stew was served to all finishers (courtesy of Hugh Kinland of Stouffer's). Now only the winner gets a bowl.

TO FEED 2,000 RUNNERS A SERVING OF BEEF STEW:
245 POUNDS OF POTATOES
122 POUNDS ONIONS
190 POUNDS OF CARROTS
55 POUNDS OF PEAS
750 POUNDS OF BEEK CHUCK CUBES
108 POUNDS BEEF GRAVY

Place in a LARGE pot and cook for a long time!


Ok, so stew is not your thing. How about chili?
You won't find chili on my table the night before the Boston Marathon. However, this recipe sounds like it could be a hearty meal after finishing on Boylston Street. Enjoy.

BOSTON MARATHON CHILI

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large onions, chopped
2 green bell peppers, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 pounds boneless pork butt or boneless country-style spareribs, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, chopped, liquid reserved
1/3 cup chili powder
1 to 2 large jalapeño chilies, chopped
2 tablespoons ground cumin

1 16-ounce can black beans, drained
1/2 cup dry red wine
Grated cheddar cheese
Chopped fresh cilantro
Chopped red onions
Sour cream

Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 2 onions, bell peppers and garlic and sauté until tender, about 14 minutes.

Transfer mixture to plate, using slotted spoon. Add beef and pork to Dutch oven and cook over medium-high heat until no longer pink, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Return onion mixture to Dutch oven. Add tomatoes with liquid, chili powder, jalapeños and cumin. Season with salt and pepper. Cover Dutch oven and simmer until beef and pork are almost tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour.

Add black beans and red wine to chili. Simmer uncovered until beef and pork are tender and chili thickens, about 30 minutes. Adjust seasoning. Ladle into bowls. Serve, passing cheese, cilantro, red onions and sour cream separately.

Serves 10.
Bon Appétit
April 1992
Ellen P Slaby: Brookline, Massachusetts