Byline: BUZZ GRAY Staff writer
Just because it's staged in Boston, THE marathon hasn't been sole property of the folks who live along the 26 miles and eight towns from tiny Hopkinton to historic Copley Square. For a century, runners have come all the way from Ireland and Texas, Oregon and Kenya, even Germany and Japan.
So it shouldn't come as a surprise that the legendary race enjoys a rich tradition right here in the Capital Region. In fact, you could even say the country's oldest marathon has become somewhat of an annual crusade among some area runners.
There will be 163 of them sprinkled among the 38,000 or so lemming-like enthusiasts who earned the privilege to stampede with the herd Monday.
``Obviously, this year is unprecedented,'' said Steve Basanait, former president of the Hudson Mohawk Road Runners Club and a veteran of 13 Boston Marathons. ``Usually this area is represented by about 20 or 30 runners.''
However, milestones that come in ``100th'' gift wrap attract attention beyond their importance.
``I'm not running it this year because it will be such a zoo,'' Basanait said. ``I think too many people are doing it because of the notoriety.''
On the other hand, there's something to be said for participating in the oldest continuous road race in the western hemisphere. In 1897, 15 men cautiously stepped across a line drawn in the dirt and a tradition was born. In those days, you ran for a laurel wreath and bowl of beef stew.
This year, the first man and woman to cross the finish line will each receive a check worth at least $100,000. They'll most likely hail from some far-away land, speak broken English and have the advantage of actually hearing the starter's gun.
``For most of us, it will take a half hour before we even reach the starting line,'' said Jim Bowles of Latham. ``Picture those narrow roads in Washington Park (Albany). That's what it's like in Hopkinton. Just a little two-lane country road.''
Bowles remains something of a running guru in these parts. Besides being coach of the nationally ranked cross-country team at Hudson Valley Community College, the 46-year-old still competes on a high level.
And the layout in Boston beckons. He knows it well, having first run it illegally three decades ago.
``They didn't let high school kids enter officially. So I just ran on my own and then pulled out just before the finish,'' Bowles confessed.
That was 1966. By the mid-1970s, Bowles was not only eligible for a legitimate bib number, he was primed to push the leaders. His clockings of 2:19 in 1975 and 1978 placed him in the Top 20.
``To my knowledge, no other runner from this area has ever run so fast at Boston,'' said Ed Neiles, president of the HMRRC. ``Jim Bowles' times remain the ones to beat.''
Don't expect anyone from the Capital Region to challenge his benchmarks on Monday. Vince O'Brien of Troy was the top area finisher last April when he cracked 2:30. Even if he somehow survives the mass fire drill this year, coming in, say, 3,000th would be an achievement.
``Nobody is looking at this year's race for (fast) times,'' Neiles said. ``It would be foolish. In all that traffic, the test will be just to find some breathing room.''
In an effort to make it fair for those not assigned to begin at the front of the throng, race officials have issued laser discs that attach to runner's sneakers. The discs will activate once the pariticipant reaches the starting line and then automatically record the overall time when he or she eventually finds the finish line, assuming it isn't worn out by then.
``Let's face it, this year won't be a race for most of us,'' said Bowles, who is still among the elite nationally in his age group. ``But I figure I won't be around for the 200th anniversary so I'd better take advantage of this opportunity.''
Bowles, a mere butterfly at 5-foot-6 and 107 pounds, ran seven marathons last year alone. He still puts in 80 miles of training runs in an average week.
``Last month, I ran 263 miles in one week,'' he said. ``Of course, 96 of those miles were in one 24-hour period.''
So his old friend ``Boston,'' even with a mid-sized city sharing the course, doesn't exactly intimidate Bowles. He'll bring along Zach Yannone, one of his HVCC athletes, to keep him company (as if he needed any more). Bowles is still capable of churning out 26 miles in under 2:40.
``There'll only be a handful of runners from the Capital Region who will be able to turn in sub-three hours,'' Neiles said.
Lance Denning of Albany will probably be one of them and could easily be the top finisher from the area. He's run marathons in the 2:20 range. Bethlehem's Dale Keenan, who won last fall's HMRRC Marathon and still owns the course record he set almost a decade earlier, should easily crack the three-hour mark and be among the Capital Region's top finishers.
Rick Bennett of Rensselaer was another one of the local favorites until he broke a bone in his ankle last week and is now sidelined.
Of course, one can't rule out Mike ``Mr. Boston'' Brinkman of Troy. This 41-year-old has been making a habit of the Massachusetts marathon since he was 18. Back surgery, even a collision with a car, hasn't discouraged Brinkman from making the yearly trek where he routinely makes a strong showing.
Another Boston ``regular'' is Marty Kittell of Troy. However, the 40-year-old veteran missed qualifying by an eyelash this year and, in a cruel twist of fate, will be forced to become a spectator for this century race.
``A lot of people went to bat for Marty in an attempt to talk the BAA (Boston Athletic Association) into making an exception,'' Neiles said. ``They wouldn't budge. So, Marty will miss his first Boston in I don't know how many years. It's a shame.''
He could always become a bandit, the term given runners who are not officially registered or who buy others' bib numbers.
``I suspect they'll be thousands of bandits on the course this year,'' Basanait said. ``After all, how many people were turned down? It was over 40,000. I think you can safely say some of them will be out there running anyway.''
While some regulars were shut out, others, like the Remmers family, will send a delegation of three. John Remmers of Warner Lake, and his two sisters, both nurses, Patricia Remmers Rapoli of Slingerlands and Barb Remmers Turi of Feura Bush, will at least start off together.
``I don't know if we'll be able to see each other once the race gets going,'' John Remmers said.
Patricia is usually the fastest of the three.
``She does the most homework,'' John said. ``She puts in 60 or 80 miles per week.''
All three have competed in ultra-marathons where 50 miles is often the distance. They may need that kind of endurance to withstand the pack pressure Monday.
Look for Amy Herold-Russom of Clifton Park to be the top female finisher from the Capital Region. She won the women's portion of the HMRRC Marathon last fall and has been training regularly to improve her times.
Along with her 38,000 competitors, Herold-Russom and the other area runners will also likely have to contend with more than one million spectators.
``Actually, I think they'll help,'' Basanait said. ``You can feed off them. A mile before you get to Wellesley College, for instance, you can hear the screaming. By the time you reach Commonwealth Avenue, the crowds are 200 to 300 deep on both sides of the road. And they're all urging you on.
``Why, you can have two steps in the grave and be resurrected. You go through such an adrenalin rush. I get goose bumps just thinking about it.''
Undoubtedly, there will be many such memories carried back by Capital Region runners.
After all, this is Boston. And this is the 100th.
FACTS:Marathon on-line http://www.bostonmarathon.org is the official Boston Marathon World Wide Web site. Menu items include news, events, watching the race, runner information and race history.
CAPTION(S):
Times Union/SKIP DICKSTEINZACH YANNONE, LEFT, AND JIM BOWLES jog in preparation for Monday's Boston Marathon. In 1975, Bowles, the Hudson Valley Community College cross-country and track coach, ran the marathon in 2 hours, 19 minutes.
