John J. Kelley won the Boston Marathon 50 years ago this month

you read RW? (i wouldn't advertise that around here unless you like getting flamed.)

I have received Runner's World since the first issue which I received with a hand written note from Bob Anderson. In the 1970s, I paid $100.00 for a lifetime subscription and have received it ever since. Recently there have been one or two very good articles in most issues. Some of those articles have nothing to do about the psychology or phylosophy of training. Many runners want to know about the running running history.

I recommend that every United States Marathon runner read the May issue of Runner's World to learn about John J. Kelley, an amazing man, and one of the all-time great United States Marathoners.

No kidding, I have been reading through Run With Champions and am always seeking more knowledge about these great distance runners from many decades ago.

What struck me about Kelley was his training routine. It gives me a great deal of motivation because he had a full-time job and was out the door running every morning at 4:30 am. He would log 12-14 miles in the am and then come back for an after work session of 6-8 miles, that often included speed. He either raced or put in longer tempo runs on the weekends.

This is basically how I try to model my week, with a full-time job. I find getting the majority of your daily mileage in at that hour is great. John J. Kelley is truly a testamant to what can be accomplished in a 24 hour day.

There won't be any flames towards Orville Atkins that

anyone 'worth a shit' would take seriously.

agreed, john kelley was a great runner and very much a legend.

Orville, I saw the article, and I agree that it's well worth reading.

Kelley has done some fine writing on running as well, recently in NE Runner Mag.

Bob Wildes wrote:

There won't be any flames towards Orville Atkins that

anyone 'worth a shit' would take seriously.

It's attitude and language like that that too often leads to a downward spiral on these threads. So far, this has been a very civil discourse. Please try not to ruin it.

I, too, have been a big fan of "The Younger" since watching him race Boston numerous times during my youth. He is an excellent role model for everyone.

good post orville. thank you.

i read the article this weekend and feel it might be amby's best writing. quite fitting if i am right. john kelley has been a role model i have appreciated for a long time.

Yippee. What a magical year this is for the Boston Marathon. I'm so excited I could crap my pants Uta Pippig-style!

Alberto Salazar won the Boston Marathon 'Duel in the Sun' 25 years ago this month.

Nina Kuscsik won the first official women's title at the Boston Marathon 35 years ago this month.

Suh Yun-Bok won the Boston Marathon in WR time 60 years ago this month.

Thomas Longboat won the Boston Marathon 100 years ago this month.

For whatever reason, Runner's World sent me a "3-month trial subscription" starting with the issue containing the John J. Kelley article and the Katherine Switzer book excerpt. If all issues had stuff this good in them, I'd consider actually subscribing.

Eddie Izzard wrote:

Thomas Longboat won the Boston Marathon 100 years ago this month.

Now that you mention it I tried to run my first Boston 40 years ago. DNF as I learned that I could not digest milk. (I was 18) there was no entry fee, just $2 to join the AAU.

I also learned that I am moderating a panel with Amby and Kelley on the Saturday before the marathon.

Hynes auditorium room 100

Saturday, April 14, 2007

1:00–2:00 John J. Kelley (1957 winner) 50th anniversary; Amby Burfoot, 1968 winner; and moderator Tom Derderian, Boston Marathon historian

So maybe some of my friends might come along?

Tom

Tom, I wish that I could make it.

I was there 40 years ago also. As you know, that was the year of Katherine which resulted in Katherine and Jock making the front page of nearly every paper in the world.

I was 23rd. John A. Kelley, then age 59, was 135th in 2:58:13. Amby Burfoot was 17th. He passed me twice due to his need to make a pit stop. One year later, Amby won it. In 1967, John J. Kelley, age 36, was 12th, (4th American), in 2:25:25.

It's funny, I too have been reading RW since the very early days. I still have issues from 70/71 that I read over and over.

I hate where it has gone, but understand why. I don't recommend it for serious, young runners and understand why they hate it so much.

However, I wish the bashers would realize its place and the place of all the "runners" it appeals to. They make the big road races possible. Back in the day there was little if any traffic control and certainly you couldn't find a race any weekend wherever you wanted to.

Let them gallowalk and raise charity money, whatever they want, as long as the sport keeps growing for us serious runners.

A little glimpse at Amby's (site &) article @: http://www.rodale.typepad.com/footloose .

I've been getting RW for about 6 or 7 years now and am considering dropping because I've become a more serious runner and there is not much in the mag to help me. The one thing I still enjoy about RW are the articles similar to John Kelley article about earlier runners.

Leading up to the last Olympics that had some absolutely great stories about past Olympic races. The excerpt from Duel in the Sun was worth the annual subscription alone in my opinion.

Citizen Runner wrote:

For whatever reason, Runner's World sent me a "3-month trial subscription" starting with the issue containing the John J. Kelley article and the Katherine Switzer book excerpt. If all issues had stuff this good in them, I'd consider actually subscribing.

Every issue has at least 1 good article like this. I've gotten RW during it's decline (from what I've read on the boards), but in the last 6 years it's always had at least one good article worth reading.

Since you don't subscribe, you don't know that though and probably laugh at the cover and slander them on Letsrun...for shame.

I just got my copy the other day, I'll have to check this article out.

Hodge, Atkins, Derderian chatting about John J. Kelly a couple weeks before Boston. Running Message Boards don't get much better than that. Thanks for letting us listen in....I will be there for the 111th!

I look at RW each month at Borders to see if an issue is worth buying, which I define as having two articles I'd want to read. They haven't hit that mark yet, but I read the article about John Kelley in the store. It's really one of the best running articles I've seen in a while.