Boston Marathon History
On this Date:
4/19/1897 James McDermott a lithographer by trade representing the Pastime AC of New York wins the first Boston Marathon in 2:55:10. 18 starters & 10 finishers
4/19/07 Thomas Longboat an Onondoga Indian wins the Boston Marathon over Johnny Hayes who was 3rd and would go on to win the 1908 Olympic Marathon. 102 starters/53 finishers
4/19/11 Clarence DeMar wins his first of 7 Boston Marathons from 1911 – 1930).
4/19/30 Clarence DeMar age 41 wins his 7th Boston Marathon. The race had 216 entrants.
4/19/34 Agustus Johnson became the first known African American to finish in the top 20.
4/19/35 John A. Kelley wins the Boston Marathon for the first time in 2:32:07 over Pat Dengis. He would again win in 1945.
4/19/39 Ellison Myers “Tarzan” Brown wins the Boston Marathon for the second time in 2:28:51 over Don Heinicke in a course record.
4/19/42 Joe Kleinerman Millrose AA and original member of NYRR places 10th in 2:45:51.
4/19/44 A team of Charley Robbins (3rd), Jock Semple(9th) and Ted Vogel (15th) representing Sampson Naval Training Center won Boston Marathon team title.
4/19/49 Lou White an African American champion takes 3rd at the Boston Marathon in 2:36:48
4/19/51 Ted Corbitt runs his first marathon at Boston finishing in 15th place in 2:48:42.
4/19/51 Lou White in finishing 4th at the Boston Marathon records what is believed to be the fastest time ever by an African American 2:35:53.
4/19/54 Veikko Karvonen of Finland wins the Boston Marathon over Jim Peters the fastest marathoner in the world and favorite.
4/19/55 The New York Pioneer Club (NYPC) team of Rudy Mendez, Ted Corbitt, and Louis Torres wins the Boston Marathon team title. There were 200 entrants.
4/19/56 Joe Tyler an African American and future American record-holder at 10K finishes in 8th place.
4/19/56 For the first time two African Americans Ted Corbitt (6th) and Joe Tyler (8th) finished in the top 10 in the same race at Boston.
4/19/58 Three experienced marathoners failed the Boston Marathon pre-race physical. They were Ted Corbitt, Al Confalone and John Lafferty. They would run unofficially and finish 6,7, and 9th respectively.
4/19/60 Gordon McKenzie of the New York Pioneer Club finished 2nd at Boston in 2:22:18 and was first American. He was followed by Boston AA Jim Green and Al Confalone. John J. Kelley didn’t finish. There were 156 starters and 83 finishers.
4/19/62 Canada’s Orville Atkins places 5th in 2:31:49 at Boston.
4/19/63 Abebe Bikila’s first marathon loss occurred at Boston with a 5th place finish. There were a 183 finishers.
4/19/63 Abebe Biklia and Mamo Wolde of Ethiopia set Boston Marathon checkpoint records and were 2:30 ahead of the record at 18 miles. They would finish 5th and 12th respectively.
4/19/65 Gar Williams an early RRCA leader places 12th in 2:25:06.
4/19/66 Roberta Bingay Gibb at age 23 became the first female to complete the Boston Marathon in 3:21:40.
4/19/66 Norm Higgins was the first American finisher at the Boston Marathon placing 5th in 2:18:26.
4/19/67 Tom Laris was the first American finisher at the Boston Marathon placing 2nd in 2:16:48.
4/19/67 Tom Osler an author and running pioneer as an athlete and administrator runs 2:29:04 and places 19th.
4/19/67 Neil Weygandt ran 2:47:11 in his first Boston Marathon. He would go on to finish Boston for 45 consecutive years.
4/19/68 Amby Burfoot wins the Boston Marathon in 2:22:17 as Americans go first and second with Bill Clark in 2nd. This is the first American win since John J. Kelley in 1957.
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