Scott,
You beat me to the punch. Last night I remembered that Joe has the book on his website and thought that I should mention that.
I've aslo got an original copy, plus, there was a shoter version of the book in an article Joe worte in "Disatnce Running News." I've got that somewhere as well, though I'll tell you, it's getting harder and harder to keep track of where "somewhere" is.
Orville Atkins wrote:
I am not aware of that but I do know that every time I raced in those days I ran to win. In Boston I attempted to hold the leaders as long as I could. I remember that in the middle of that race I kept repeating to myself that I had blown it but that at lest I had led The Boston Marathon. Towards the end of the race I ran as hard as I could to stay in the top ten. I felt so badly that I kept telling myself that I could not drop out but would drop out while in the top ten but would when I was no longer in the top ten. There was a head wind from about Natick on that year. It was tough.
I was just reading Tom Derderian's book again. I read it every year to get pumped up for Boston. Just a couple of days ago I remember seeing (operating from memory here so I might be off by a year, a place or a few seconds) under the 1962 race, there is an "O Atkins" who took 6th place in 2:31:49. I take it that's the year you mean.
Orville had his moments, that's for sure.
I was there for the gradual increase in interest and times in marathoning and for the running boom but my times did not keep up. I was 5th of 181 starters in Boston in 1962 in 2.31.49. In 1967 I was 23rd in 2:30.26. That year Roberta Gibb ran 3:27.17 to place 266th unofficially.
In 1971 I was 25th of 877 starters in 2:31.07.
I also ran Boston in 1964 and 1974 but ran about 2:57 those years.
I knew Gerard Cote for many years after he retired. He promoted some of the races I ran in Canada. Gerard won the Boston Marathon four times in the 1940s. He was also the World Snow Shoe Champion at least once. He must have been a very competative runner. The press loved him because he was a character who always provided them with a story. By the way, he always lite up a cigar after winning Boston.
Bobbie Gibb never got credit, Switzer seems to have and actually made a career out of it.
Didn't Cote almost get into a fistfight one year by sticking by someone's elbow almost to 24 miles and constantly 'accidentally' stepping on the other guys' shoes? Maybe Les Pawson? ...or was it Johnny 'the Elder' Kelley?
My memory is fuzzy on that one.
I DO recall that Cote got in bit of hot water with the Canadian Army by running Boston one year during WWII.
Cote had a bit of a rouge-ish rep didn't he Orville?
Orville,
Wow, nice job with the Bostons. It must have been something leading the pack. And 5th place, not to shabby. In 1962 I was 4 yo. The only thing I was running then was from my older brother.
Locknload wrote: In 1962 I was 4 yo. .
YOU ARE 47 YEARS OLD?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
THAT is mind-bending. I was sure you were no older than 25, even though you express your thoughts like an angry, unedcuated teenager.
You heading towards 50??? HOLY crap. You should be completely humiliated by admitting your age considering the way you act on here. I can excuse someone who is a bit younger for regularly acting like a dimwit in cyberspace, but man.........you are really sad. And I thought Flagpole Willy had no life.
Your kids (if you have any) must be very proud of their Dad, the badass, foul-mouthed, racist cowboy of a running web-site.
Gerard Cote had an amazing career in spite of Canada being at war for 6 years. He was born in 1913, first ran Boston in 1936, lasst ran there in 1955 and in addition to winning 4 times he was in the top 10 twelve additional times. He broke Boston's course record with a 2:28.28 in 1940. He had the number one time in the world at least three years. The stories may be true. I would say that he was a great runner who was a bit feisty.
I think I goofed. I think Cote was in the top ten in Boston nine times in addition to his 4 win.
hey now,
47 in 2 weeks! Thanks for asking. You're post reminds of the saying "The pot calling the kettle black" But thanks for thinking I was much younger. I certainly don't feel 47. I guess you're as young as you feel.
Funny I was just reading about that. I think it was either Ted Vogel or Jesse van Zant who Cote got into a shoving match with. Finally the guy told Cote something along the lines of, "If you don't cut that out I'm going to slug you"
Cote beat him though.
That sounds about right. Cote may have been worried about the guy and got him off his game just enough by all that bumping.
It is stated in Tom Derderian's book "Boston Marathon" that in 1935 Gerard Cote obtained a new coach, Pete Gavuzzi, who had been associated with professional running. Gavuzzi believed in "long, long, slow, slow distance". He sent his runners on 35 and 40 mile runs. In 1935, Cote ran a 50 mile time trial in 6:59.