A Postponement for a By-Pass - Randy Lambert (April 18, 2005)

Randy Lambert

I ran the Chicago Marathon in 2001. My goal was to complete my first marathon in under four hours, but that day I crossed the finish line at 4:15. I was overwhelmed by such a large race atmosphere and was not prepared for a race of that caliber. A few months later I ran the St. Jude Memphis Marathon where I finished at 3:39. Comparing the two courses, I saw Memphis as the more difficult course. In my mind I knew I could return to Chicago and get the 3:30 BQ time I needed.

Shortly after the Memphis marathon I began training seriously for my return to Chicago. What I remembered about the Chicago course was it was flat, fast, and there were around 40,000 runners, and well over a million spectators. Over the last quarter of the race, there were  bands stationed every mile,  with musicians anxious to help push tired runners to the end. Thinking of all this motivated me during my training. On October 12, 2003, I crossed the finish line at 3:30.08 and qualified for the Boston Marathon. Thank God for cushion time! My wife and girls had accompanied me on this trip and were there to celebrate with me. I still get emotional thinking about reuniting with them after I made it through the chute.

I was on track to run Boston the following April. Two weeks after I came home from Chicago I began training. I returned to Memphis six weeks later to run the half marathon as part of my preparation. During the race I noticed I could not maintain the pace I was used to running, and when I would hit that particular pace I felt a burning feeling in my chest. I knew something was not right, so after the race I consulted my physician, who is a good family friend and fellow runner. He urged me to get this checked out immediately.

The following week I made an appointment with a cardiologist. I completed a stress test on a treadmill where I was told to run as long as I could. Well, it did not take long till the doctors and nurses started referring to me as “The Marathon Man.” I was told I passed the test with flying colors and there should not be a problem with completing the Boston Marathon in April. I was then instructed to go across the street to eat a hamburger and come back for one more test. It was during this test the doctor saw something suspicious. He ordered a heart cath for the following day as a precautionary measure. However, during the heart cath they found blockage that could not be corrected with a stint and would require open-heart surgery. I had this surgery the next day and returned home after a four-day stay in the hospital on Christmas Eve. I told the nurses Santa was coming and I had to be home for my girls.

Knowing I had two years eligibility to run the BM and knowing there would be no way I could run that April, I made the decision to run the second year. I guess it was not really a decision, but just what had to happen. Time went on, and even though I had been given the go-ahead by my physician and cardiologist to start training, there was still a part of me that was hesitant to put my running shoes back on. I bumped into Kenneth Williams one night at Walmart, and he asked about how my running was going. After sharing I was not doing any running and hesitant to start training again, Kenneth told me to stay put and he would be right back. Next thing I knew, he comes back with a heart monitor and told me to see if that would give me the peace of mind I needed to start running again. This did in fact provide me the encouragement and confidence I needed to get back on the road. After my hopes began to rise a little more, I got back into running 5Ks and 10Ks nearby until the time came to become serious in my training for Boston. In these races I would wear a shirt that said, “A guy with a by-pass just passed you.” While I was making my comeback, I was still hesitant to complete my long runs out on the road. I found solace with the treadmill at work. It was on the treadmill where I completed every single one of my long runs. Work even bought me a brand new treadmill, and I ultimately burned out the motor by the end of my training!

April came and it was time for my wife and I to make our way to Boston. We were both so impressed with how organized the expo was, and I loaded up on my Boston Marathon merchandise, unsure if I would ever have the chance to get more. We had a great weekend in Boston. My wife and I ate great food and enjoyed sightseeing. Come race day I soon found out training solely on a treadmill for a marathon was not wise. I vividly remember looking up and realizing I was at the bottom of Heartbreak Hill. I was so discouraged I started walking. I experienced cramps for the first time. I was planning to complete the race in four hours, but finished in just under five.

Although this was not my best race experience, I was so thankful to have made it to Boston. I know running saved my life. If I had not been running, my doctors told me I would have never felt the burning in my chest that led the doctors to find the blockage that would have led to a fatal heart attack. While I was running the Boston Marathon I focused not on the pain I was in, but how grateful I was to have the opportunity to run.

Recently I have put my running shoes back on and am training for my first marathon in many years. I am proud to say I will be running with my youngest daughter for her first half marathon with hopes of one day soon returning to Boston for my revenge on Heartbreak Hill. We have a score to settle.

Randy Lambert
Corinth, Mississippi



For more personal accounts of the 2005 Boston marathon, click here.

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April 21, 2014 - Cashing in on the "Old People Discount"

Lynn O'Neal

I started running at age 46 while living in Fulton, Mississippi. Since then I have been blessed with a great network of running friends who have encouraged me to keep improving.

I ran Huntsville’s Rocket City Marathon in 2011 and missed qualifying for Boston by about six minutes with a time of 4:01. With more intense training and lots more encouragement, I returned to Rocket City in 2012 and qualified with a time of 3:48:38. I tell people I got the “old people discount” because in between I had crossed over into the 50 year old age bracket. I don’t mind: I will take all the time the BAA will give me!

April 21, 2014 - America’s Good Luck Charm

Woody Harrell

In July 1978, I finished third in the Grandfather Mountain Marathon (described as “among the most strenuous marathons in the nation”), just barely reaching my goal of under three hours. As I circled toward the finish line on the track at the Southern Highland Games, I was certain I was in fourth place. However, way up ahead of me, a running buddy of mine had made a wrong turn and was off course by a mile and a half before he discovered his error, a mistake, he was not able to overcome. It was the only time I ever came close to a marathon podium placement, so none the less, I happily accepted the third place trophy.

A few months later I read an article in a medical journal stating you lose 10% of your I.Q. every time you run a marathon. At that point my marathon total stood at nine, so I did the math, decided I didn’t have any wiggle room left, and gave up long distance running. Well, that’s what I tell people, anyway. In truth, much earlier I had injured myself while running barefoot on the beach, cutting ligaments, tendons, etc. so badly I can’t bend the toes on my left foot. This initially didn’t seem to be much of a drawback, but as I headed into middle age, my “on the ball of the foot” running style couldn’t handle the resulting ankle instability, and anything over a five mile run became very painful, so much so I had to move on to something with less pounding and abuse, like bicycling. Marathoning had become a thing of the past.

April 16, 2012 - One Red Grape

Kenneth Williams

You could see it coming: An early spring heat wave, making its way from the Great Plains eastward across the central United States. The unseasonable weather spared neither north nor south as it baked its way across the country. With only a week to go before the start of the 116th Boston Marathon, BAA warnings began arriving for registered runners. Faced with an ominous forecast, race officials warned: “Only the fittest runners should attempt the marathon,” causing me to introspect, at age 70 and just weeks removed from Melanoma surgery, how I could possibly be in that ‘fittest’ group. However, the chance to lengthen my streak of consecutive Boston Marathon finishes to ten overrode any conservative decision to defer or postpone. So, at 10:40 a.m. on Patriots Day, when the gun went off in Hopkinton for my starting wave, once again, I struck out on foot for Boston.

April 19, 2010 - Rewarded by the Smile on the Face of my Biggest Fan

Amy Macon

My journey as a runner began in 2004, when a group of friends challenged my husband and me to train with them to run a half marathon. Until then, I had logged many miles as a race walker. Since I’m always up for a new challenge, the training began and I transitioned from being a race walker to a runner. The transition was easier than I thought it would be, and I quickly fell in love with running.

After that first half marathon, I began to sign up for race after race including 5k’s, 10k’s, 15k’s and halves. I never really considered 26.2 as a runner, although I had covered that distance twice as a race walker. In 2007 another group of friends formed a training group called the Northshore Running Club, and invited my husband and me to join the insanity of training for our first marathon. We accepted yet another running challenge and ran our first marathon in October 2007: the Marine Corps Marathon. My primary goal was to finish, and my secondary goal was to break four hours. The months of training paid off and I successfully met both of my goals! I ran my first marathon in 3:55:32 and finally became a marathon runner!

2013 - "I had no cell phone, no I.D., no money, no hotel room key. However, I did have my lipstick."

Roan Johnson

First of all, I want to explain how I even got to run the Boston Marathon in the first place.

If you know anything about the sport of long distance running world, you probably know the Boston Marathon is the big race. This year was the 117th Boston Marathon. Elite runners from around the world compete in this marathon, and about 20,000 qualified runners make up the majority of the field. A Boston Qualified runner is one who has run a certified marathon course below a certain time based on gender and age. And it is tough to qualify! Currently for my age group (40-45), a female runner must run under a 3:45 marathon to qualify. That's never gonna happen for me! At age 45 (in 14 months) my qualifying time will be 3:55. Possibly doable---with lots of work---a goal I have set for myself. My husband Jimmy has missed his current qualifying time by just four minutes. Anyway...

2013 - Never Got To Make The Last Two Turns

Kenneth Williams

"Right on Hereford, left on Boylston" – that’s what was written on the T-shirt Kenneth Williams decided to wear to the Boston Marathon. Those are the last two turns of the race, and Williams was just about to make that right turn on Hereford when the bomb went off on Boylston.

"I saw smoke and thought to myself, ‘what is that?’ " Williams said. "One moment, I was just trying to survive up to the 26th mile, and I was only thinking about oxygen. Then, a moment later, we were stopped."

That was the end of the race for the Corinth, Mississippi, native who traveled to Boston with 17 or so members of the marathon running group he leads.

2013 - Between the Blasts: A retired judge describes the finish line terror

Roger McMillin

A total of 23,336 runners started the 2013 Boston Marathon, with 17,580 finishing. In the next few days, the Associated Press analyzed images and data including the finishing times recorded by chips on competitors’ bibs, to pinpoint some of the runners who were in the finish line area when the bombs went off. First published at Washingtontimes.com on April 20, 2013, this is one of those stories:

The Judge

Four hours, 10 minutes, 16 seconds. That’s the time stamped next to Roger McMillin's name at the Boston Marathon this year

Maybe it shouldn’t matter this year, but to McMillin, it does.

The retired chief judge of the Mississippi State Court of Appeals needed to break 4:10 to automatically qualify for a return trip to Boston to run in the 2014 marathon.

He was well on his way when he heard the first explosion rock the area near the finish line. Then the second.

2013 - "Though in a crowd of stunned runners and spectators, I felt alone"

Jimmy Johnson

After months of training, my wife and I had arrived at the marathon event of the year, the 2013 Boston Marathon. We started together in Wave 3, Corral 6, running for an American Medical Athletic Association charity. In four hours our day would drastically change.

A knee injury forced me to slow my pace and allowed me to just enjoy the scenery, the cool weather and cheering fans along the legendary Hopkinton to Boston course. Little did I know, had I slowed down another ten minutes, I would have been directly in front of the explosions.

I had just received my finisher’s medal when I heard and felt the first blast.

No one knew what was happening. Some thought the explosions were planned events, such as cannons being fired to celebrate Patriots’ Day. Several minutes later, the fear in the back of my mind was confirmed when the ambulances began pouring in. Not wanting any lasting memory of the event I was witnessing, I resisted taking any photographs.

2013 - "There has been a bomb and I am all alone and scared to death..."

Misty Thompson

Jim and I left for Boston Saturday April 13, with much anticipation and excitement. We left the girls in the very capable hands of Gramsby and then Grandmommy. We traveled much of Saturday (with some flight complications), but arrived in Boston Saturday afternoon. As we were in the cab on the way to the hotel, I kept saying "this is amazing, beautiful, like nothing I have ever seen…"

The architecture was beautiful and old, and there were people walking everywhere. We quickly checked into the Sheraton and went to the Marathon Expo (which was connected to our hotel). This was also unbelievable. There were die-hard runners everywhere (me being the very least of these). We purchased official Boston Marathon 2013 goodies and happies for the girls. Seeing everything took several hours to get through. We then went to dinner at Legal Seafood with a group from the North Mississippi/ Tennessee area, an event organized by Kenneth Williams (who was such a Godsend during the whole experience). It was great to get to meet and visit with these families (most of whom we met for the first time in Boston). We visited there for several hours before retiring to our room.

2013 - "OK, this guy says I can do it, so I guess I better run!"

Heather Duley

When I was in high school, my family went skiing in Colorado. At the top of the snow covered mountains, the view was breathtaking! We took rolls and rolls of film (this was so long ago, cameras had film!) so we could share the experience with friends. When we got home and got our pictures developed, the pictures were pretty, but it was sort of a letdown... Our pictures did not come close to conveying the beauty and magnitude of the mountains. In many ways, the Boston Marathon is like those mountain top pictures: one of those experiences hard to adequately convey. But I will try!

First, I want to give you some facts I think help explain why Boston is such a big deal to runners. Most of the following bullet points are taken from Bill Rogers's book, Marathon Man. We actually got to hear him speak about some of his Boston experiences the night before the marathon!

2013 - "I thought my friends were asking me if I was OK because everyone knew I was running injured"

Beth Allen

I ran my first Boston Marathon in 2011, my second Boston in the record breaking heat of 2012, and my third Boston Marathon in 2013, the year that Boston would not be broken by terrorism.

Training for Boston 2013 was different from other years in that I truly didn’t train hard. I had a severe case of plantar fasciitis: even up until the day of the race, I wasn’t sure if I would be able to run 26.2 miles. 

Most runners I know will attempt Boston with any injury because, well, because it’s Boston. The medal alone is coveted by all serious runners. I figured even if I dragged myself across the finish line, injured foot and all, I’d get the medal.

2013 - "It's not the feeling you want to have when you've run 26 miles in Boston"

Jane Clair Shettles

Putting my 2013 Boston experience on paper is a very difficult thing for me to do, but I am going to give it my best shot! Getting to run the Boston Marathon was one of the most exciting, yet scariest times of my life. It was an amazing opportunity, and I am already looking forward to being there again next year. However, the bombing was definitely the unfortunate part of my Boston experience.

Running the Boston marathon was a long-standing dream for me. Having learned how the process worked, I knew getting entered could be difficult, a bit complicated, and stressful! Little did I know my qualifying would be the least nerve-racking part of the whole adventure! I met my qualifying standard in December 2011 in Baton Rouge. My friend and fellow runner Misty Thompson was likewise wanting to run in Boston, and we hoped we could make the trip together. So, in March, we ran together in the Andrew Jackson Marathon in Jackson, Tennessee, which was Misty’s qualifying race.

2012 - "I was too dehydrated to even cry..."

Amy Ballard

For years I wanted to just qualify for Boston. Unlike some novice runners who say they have never heard of the race, running Boston has been my strong desire ever since my first marathon back in 2006.

After taking nearly three years off from marathons to have my two babies, I resumed my qualifying efforts, and was fortunate enough to become eligible on my next three tries. But then came the change in the registration process, and I was very uncertain if a four minute cushion would be enough. Luckily, and by God’s grace, it was!

While on vacation, I received news that Boston notifications had been sent. However, having no cell phone signal brought even longer suspense, while we drove out of the mountains waiting to get cell phone reception. Finally, I received the long awaited news: I had gotten into the 2012 Boston Marathon! Training schedules were made and travel plans set. I was going to Boston.

Little did I know that a heat wave would hit Boston on April 16th.

2011: “With God as my DJ, the songs I needed came on as if on cue.”

Beth Allen

Marathoning is like a solitary journey into the deepest depths of a runner’s soul. When you are out on a course, it is just you and the road that lies ahead. The only resources you have are your body and your soul. You hope your mind will carry your body through the 26.2 miles you face. You pray your body will not give out before the finish line. And lastly, you hold the dream way down deep in your soul that all your hard work to get where you are is not wasted and you will indeed succeed.

For me, marathoning is not about being the fastest or the best against the other women in my field. It is a personal challenge I make each and every time I sign up and enter a marathon. It is a race where Beth competes with Beth. The idea of working hard and training for a goal appeals to me, and is ultimately what drives me to run 26.2 miles. And eventually will drive me to run the more extreme distances of an ultra marathon. The satisfaction obtained from crossing the finish line is the ultimate for a marathoner.

2011 - "I mean I only had nine seconds to spare..."

Alan Smith

Running the Boston Marathon was not my goal as a runner. I didn’t start running with that on my mind. I was a tri-athlete in 2008 and had completed several sprints triathlons, Olympics, and one half Ironman.

I wanted to do a full Ironman before the age of 50. To do that, I had to be able to run a marathon, AFTER swimming 2.4 miles, and riding a bike 112 more. I could do the first two stages of an Ironman but the 26.2 mile run afterward was something I would have to work on.

From some of my cycling friends, I had heard about Kenneth Williams: "Koach," as most runners know him. They said he was a marathon guru so-to-speak, and could help me if I wanted to train for a marathon. I contacted him and scheduled a visit. Soon afterwards, I sat down in Koach’s office to discuss training for a marathon. A discussion of "the greatest marathon" came up, and while sitting there, I began to think how great it would be if I could run the Boston Marathon someday.

2010 - From a "Two Packs A Day" Smoker to a Boston "Rock Star"

Bridgett Jolly

Seven years ago I could have never pictured myself as a runner. Probably because seven years ago I was a "two packs a day" smoker. I put cigarettes down on August 21, 2006 and I haven't had one since.

Six months after I quit, I was going nuts, and had to find something to do. There were a couple of ladies in my neighborhood who ran. And they looked amazing. And I wanted to look like them. So I started running.

Ok, maybe not running, but trying to run. I would run to a mailbox, then walk. Then run a little further. And before I knew it I was up to running three miles straight! I signed up for my first race: the St. Jude half marathon. I ran that race in December of 2007, and when I crossed the finish line, I knew I was a runner! There was such a sense of accomplishment. To think that God had not only given me the strength to quit smoking, but he also let me run 13.1 miles straight!

2010 - Easier than hunting game in Zimbabwe...

Aaron Ford

I would consider myself a rookie compared to many other guys and gals on this site, but I'll tell my story as well. Boston was only my second marathon. I had qualified with my first 26.2 mile race, even though barely making it in after running a 3:09:50! But for Boston, I had set a goal of a sub-three hour race and had been training hard in order to achieve that target.

At that time, my future wife and I were engaged to be married a couple of weeks later, and we were meeting an old college roommate now living in the Boston area. I was still in school at the time, but was able to take a couple days off to make the trip. Needless to say, I wasn't going to miss this race for anything!

We met up out in Medford (as poor college students, we couldn't afford to stay in town), and my friend showed up with his co-worker, a veteran marathoner from Zimbabwe! It was so cool to meet him. He told me how back in Africa, he would eat a big dinner and then join other hunters who would basically go out and run all night after their following day's supper (antelope, deer, etc.). They would race until the animal gave out, and they could butcher it. He said they would run close to 30 miles in a night without eating, and might bring only a small amount of water on the hunt. When I asked him if the Boston Marathon would be hard, he said it would be nothing compared to the hunting he had done in Zimbabwe!

April 16, 2007 – “This trip was all about the weather and it plagued us the entire time.”

Kenneth Williams

It took me a dozen years to get to Boston the first time. Then it took another 12 years to get back for my second. I ran my first marathon in Chicago in 1978. After that, I continued running marathons, but I limited them to one per year. I would run, cut back to maintenance mileage for several months, then build up mileage and run again. With each marathon, I always tried to improve my time enough to attain the dream of all marathoners: Boston Qualification. But the goal was elusive…

Five years passed, then five more, and I was still trying. Along the way, I filled up an impressive dance card of marathons: Toronto, Marine Corps, New York City, Montreal, Portland, Dallas, San Francisco, Baltimore, Richmond. However, none yielded a BQ time.

1996 - People encouraging me, yelling "Go Corinth, you’re almost there!"

Lisa Lewis

I was so lucky to be able to participate in the 100^th running of the Boston Marathon. What made it so meaningful to me was I was able to run with my buddies, Judy Sohl and Sue Box. Judy had recently moved back to California, which was a very painful for me, as I was losing a great friend and running coach.

I had many races under my belt including one previous marathon, but nothing prepared me for the unique experience of Boston. Because the BAA allowed so many runners in for the 100 year celebration, the starting line area in Hopkinton looked like a "Woodstock" of runners. We were in a big field, runners everywhere, and helicopters flying overhead. This little "redneck" from Mississippi stayed close to my friends. We took our time, savored the sights and screaming fans along the entire route, enjoying this special experience and each other.

Strangely, I don’t remember ever being tired, or hitting any "walls". I think the excitement of being there just carried me along. I remember asking everyone "Where is Heartbreak Hill?" Finally, a big drum announced this famous runner’s landmark. The hills of Mississippi and my slow pace had prepared me well for this last hurtle.