Posted: October 11, 2004

Athletics: In Memoriam: John Adelbert Kelley - September 6, 1907 to October 6, 2004

* Boston Marathon Champion (1935, 1945)
* Hall of Famer (USA Track & Field, National Distance Running, RRCA)
* Olympian (1936, 1940, 1948)

One of the most colorful characters in the history of the B.A.A. Boston Marathon, John A. Kelley, a fixture of the race for nearly seven decades, has passed away at age 97. A two-time winner of Boston (1935 and 1945), Kelley finished second a record seven times and recorded 18 finishes in the top 10. A starter on race day 61 times, Kelley completed 58 Boston Marathons (another record).

Kelley ran 3:17 in his first marathon at the age of 20 in 1928 on an out-and-back course between Pawtucket and Woonsocket, Rhode Island. However, he did not finish his first two Boston Marathons, dropping out in 1928 and 1932. He tried to stay with the leaders in 1933, but faded to 37th (3:03:56) by race's end. The following year, Kelley once again ran near the front, however this year he held on for second place (2:36:50). It would prove to be the first of seven second-place finishes for Kelley.

Born September 6, 1907, John Adelbert Kelley was the oldest of five boys and five girls growing up in West Medford, Massachusetts. He ran track first at Medford High School, and later at Arlington High School after the family moved to the nearby town. Kelley worked as an assistant florist and joined the North Medford Club.

Kelley continued to improve as a runner and in 1935 ran away from Pat Dengis to capture his first Boston Marathon victory in 2:32:07. He placed fifth (2:38:49) in 1936 after taking part in the event that is commonly considered to be the origin of the term "Heartbreak Hill." Kelley, thinking that race leader Ellison "Tarzan" Brown had exhausted himself by the last of the four Newton hills, patted Brown on the back while taking the lead. Inspired by this gesture, Brown soon regained the lead and became the eventual champion. Kelley, on the other hand, heart-broken, faded to fifth place.

That summer, Kelley finished 18th (2:49:32) at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. The following year at Boston, he placed second in 2:39:02. By 1938, Kelley no longer worked as a florist but had been hired by the Boston Edison Company as a guard. He finished third (2:37:34) that year but only 13th (2:41:39) in 1939. Kelly was runner-up in both 1940 (2:32:03) and 1941 (2:31:26), and place fifth (2:37:55) in 1942.

In June of 1942, Kelley's wife of three years, Mary, died of cancer and he was soon drafted into the U.S. Army. Private John Kelley came up from Alabama's Fort McClellan for the 1943 Boston Marathon, where his time of 2:30:00, his fastest time ever at Boston, left him in second place once again. His lifetime best of 2:28:18 came in 1948 in Salisbury, Massachusetts. Another second place (2:32:03) followed in 1944, but then in 1945, 10 years after his first Boston victory, Kelley won again at age 37 in 2:30:40.

Kelley's seventh and final second-place finish came in 1946 (2:31:27). Over the next nine years, he placed in the top 10 on five occasions. In 1956, for the first time in 24 years, Kelley was forced to drop out of Boston. The following year, he surprised everyone, placing ninth in 2:52:12 at age 50. He continued to race at Boston until 1968, when he did not start, and again through 1992, when he at age 84 started his 61st and final Boston Marathon. He completed that Boston Marathon (his 58th finish) in 5:58:00.

In 1993, the statue "Young at Heart" was dedicated in honor of Kelley. Located at the base of the third hill in Newton, the statue depicts a young Kelley winning in 1935 at age 27 and clasping hands with an older Kelley finishing in 1991 at age 83. Beginning with the 1995 race, Kelley has annually served as the Grand Marshal of the Boston Marathon, preceding the runners in a pace vehicle. Note: he missed the 1999 race, recovering from illness. He returned to the Boston Marathon in April 2000 as Grand Marshal, participating in pre-race activities, singing his signature song "Young at Heart" and even throwing out the first pitch at Fenway Park prior to the Red Sox game.

Kelley was a member of both the USA Track & Field Hall of Fame and the National Distance Running Hall of Fame, and was selected as the "Runner of the Century" by Runner's World magazine for his contributions to the sport of running and the countless athletes he inspired.

Kelley's most recent residence was in East Dennis, Massachusetts where he enjoyed attending road races, jogging, swimming and painting. He was married to Ginger DeLong.

From Thomas S. Grilk
B.A.A. President (And finish line announcer of the Boston Marathon)

"Johnny Kelley has long been the heart and soul of the Boston Marathon. Now that he's gone, his heart and soul live on in the race that he, more than anyone else, has come to personify.

Since the days of the Depression, one couldn't think of the Boston Marathon without thinking of Johnny. That won't change.

Johnny is one of those people whose greatest gift to the world has been himself. It is a gift that will remain with us all.

As a purely personal matter I will miss the opportunity to announce his arrival to the crowd at the finish for the first time in 25 years. His is always the warmest welcome. The finish will be a stiller town without him."

From Guy L. Morse, III
Boston Athletic Association Executive Director (2000 to present)
B.A.A. Marathon Race Director from 1985-2000

"Johnny was an icon for all of running, not only the Boston Marathon. Everywhere he traveled - and when we traveled together - I would be amazed at the outpouring of affection for him. He represented an entire century of sport, and he represented an era characterized by American amateurism. And, as much as he and his name may have been synonymous with running, he was also a true gentlemen in all senses of the word.

On a personal note, I was fortunate to have visited him - along with his nephew, Tom - only last Friday [October 1, 2004] at his home. He was as sharp as ever, and as always he reminisced about past Boston and Olympic experiences. And, looking forward as he always did, he was already making plans to return to Boston in the springtime for the Marathon and to hopefully once again throw out a first pitch at Fenway Park on Patriots' Day weekend."

From David McGillivray
Boston Marathon Race Director

"Johnny has inspired thousands, me included, to never quit, to live each day like it was our last, and, as Johnny himself always eloquently stated, "to stay the course." His mantra, to be "Young at Heart", will live on with me forever. He was a dear friend, a hero, and will always remain a treasure.

There are certain records and streaks in sports that leave you in awe and seem impossible to eclipse. In my opinion, nothing is more impressive than Johnny Kelley's 58 finishes and 61 starts of the Boston Marathon and with many of those run at a world-class pace."

Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Services Director
385 Oak View Lane
Santa Barbara, CA 93111

(805) 696-6232, fax (805) 967-5958
Ryan@RunningUSA.org
www.runningusa.org.