As you quietly curse this ridiculous cold, wet weather, here is some local history from America's most famous footrace, the B.A.A. Marathon, which will be run for the 113th time this Monday, Patriots' Day in Massachusetts.
Yes, we had a winner.
Charles Mellor of Chicago won the 1925 race over legendary seven-time Boston champ
Clarence DeMar of Melrose, MA,, winning in 2:33:0 to DeMar's 2:33:37. Mellor had finished second to DeMar the year before. Quoting from the B.A.A. press guide,
"Running with a wad of tobacco tucked inside his cheek and the morning edition of the Boston Globe placed inside the front of his shirt to serve as a windbreaker, Mellor finally pulled away from DeMar on Beacon Street, within two miles of the finish." Mellor also finished second in 1921.
Craig Virgin, of downstate Lebanon, IL, and University of Illinois fame, ran a great race in 1981, running 2:10:26, but lost to Japanese great
Toshihiko Seko by a full minute.
Illinois had a pair of third-place finishes as well.
Wallie Carlson of Chicago surged at the end for the No. 3 spot in 1923, and well-known miler
Joie Ray, I believe of Chicago, was third in 1928.
And stretching our borders just a bit,
Hal Higdon, officially of Indiana but of University of Chicago fame, was top American and fifth overall in 1964 with a 2:21:55. I'm betting many of you have used Hal's marathon training programs over the years.
And we might as well sneak north as well.
Kim Merritt of Racine, WI, was the 1976 women's champion, running a 2:47:10, winning by 5:17 over
Miki Gorman of California.
In the wheelchair division, Champaign's history-making
Jean Driscoll won eight times (1990-96 and 2000), setting a world best of 1:34:22 in 1993.
Shahan Rahn (1977) and
Christina Ripp (2003) also rolled to victories representing Illinois.
And some recent history:
Nancy Rollins of Evanston is two-time defending champ in women's 60-69;
Kurt Fiene of Elmhurst is defending champ for vision impaired and
Harry Roberts of Illinois won men's 60-69 in 1982.
Let me know what I missed!
The headwinds off the Atlantic were factors much of the way, but with all the winding roads and hills, not to mention the big houses in places like Wellesley and Newton, there were parts of the course where we were protected and quite comfortable. Temps generally were in the mid 40s, reaching 50 when I went through Brookline 3.5 miles from the finish. I had a Nike skull cap that I took on and off all day, and wore a Zensah compression shirt for my base layer on top. I wanted the protection for sure when I got to Beacon St.-Commonwealth-Hereford and Boylston (last 5 miles). That stretch was right into the teeth of of the chilling wind. Crowds were biggest 
I've ever seen at the B.A.A. Marathon, even in Ashland, which is out near Hopkinton. It was exhilarating to say the least. Boston is not just another run. There is a lot going on mentally, and if I may, spirtually, as you gauge your body and mind to make sure your tank is full and your focus clear for the long Newton hills on miles 16-21. I played it very conservatively because of border-line training and injuries, and it paid off through the first two Newton climbs. Like many around me, I bogged down as my quads and hams began to freeze up on the last two, including Heartbreak, but I got to the top and then found fast-twitch fibers in reserve for the final push to Copley Square and the coveted Boston medallion. I'll take a 3:50:10 on that course at age 60 any time! As I ran down Boylston to the finish with thousands cheering me on, I thanked my lucky stars that I am able to do this. It was a great weekend in Boston to say the least. There was plenty of excitement with the run, Red Sox, Bruins and Celtics all in action. That is one passionate sports town. They dodged a huge bullet with the weather. It started raining about 5:45 p.m. I'm wearing my Boston shirt now. I don't want to take it off! Photos: I was freezing afterward as I made my way along Boylston to the "T." My favorite turn on the course is the last one: Hereford to Boylston.
