Jock and the Boston Baddies

If Boston is no longer a major league town, as some claim, it is not because the Patiots are moving out but because the powers that he have decided that you must be a good runner in order to enter the Boston Marathon.

Jock Semple, the man responsible for much of the logistics and other busywork of the race, has been complaining for years about all the pseudo-athletes who make every Patriots Day a nightmare for him, and it's impossible not to sympathize with him. 1100 people present a lot of problems, and as Jock must have known, 1200 would cause even more.

So the most equitable way to limit the number of entries and to keep Jock sane was to make ability a prerequisite, and it was hardly surprising that Will Cloney, chairman of the sponsoring B. A. A., announced two months ago that unless you had completed a marathon in less than four hours, Boston didn't want you. A runner could also qualify by doing well in two ten-milers or getting the authorization of a coach or trainer, but only a decent runner can get by those two obstacles.

Despite the restrictions, there will still be between 1000 and 1100 runners in Monday's race. There are simply an awful lot of competent distance runners these days, and the Boston Marathon is becoming more and more a prestige race. One wonders how many would have entered had there been no qualifying rules. I'm sure Jock wonders, and undoubtedly, he and Cloney are glad that they put the clamps on when they did.

The Good-Bad Continuum

But the Boston Marathon has always been special, in good part because it included such a wide spectrum of running talent, from Japanese machines to John Doc, the guy who'd come out in combat boots after running a mile a day in practice and tell jokes to people around him on the course. The spectators loved it if Jock didn't.

In essence, the B. A. A. is destroying an important aspect of the Marathon because it claims that the number of entrants is too great to be accommodated. The B. A. A. has always discriminated to some extent-only three years ago, Jock was wrestling girls off the course-so this increased discrimination is not so much the issue.

If the B. A. A. cared about maintaining the character of the Marathon by allowing everyone to run, it could curtail some of the conveniences it now provides. I'm sure most competitors could do without the stew served afterwards, and I'd be willing to bet that another Hopkinton building would be available for checking in and dressing before the race. Another thing that could go is the certificate sent to everyone who finishes in less than four hours. The B. A. A. should provide only necessary services.

It's sad to think that last year's event may have been the last of the goodtime Boston Marathons.