Patriots Day in Boston can be reduced to a single concept--the Marathon. For 24 hours yesterday. Beantown stretched 26 miles. 385 yards. No more, No less. And for the 6500-plus official entrants, and the countless unofficial runners. Lexington was the farthest halite from their minds. Surviving Heartbreak Hill and crossing the finish fine at the Pro was the only challenge.

With a generous tailwind in the air, unseasonably cool weather, and thousands of cheering spectators, all of Boston seemed on the march for the fans, it was a day of fun and excitement. For the runners--both world-class and hacker alike--it was a day of accomplishment.

There was 27-year-old Greg Meyer running the least six miles by himself, coming on so-close to a course record on route to his 2:08:54 championship run And there was native Bostonian Joan Benoit shattering the women's world marathon record with a time of 222.

And Harvard had its heroes, 100

First year law student Dan Schlesinger cruised home in 2.11:42, good for eighth place in the highly competitive field. Winthrop House resident tutor Rodney Pearson, running his sixth Boston Mararthon, wasn't far behind at 2.23:02

Among undergraduates, Marther House's Robert Henderson led the pack, nabbing a 2.38:49 finish for a top-700 placing A member of the JV track and cross-country teams. Henderson had never run Boston before "I felt totally spend after the race," the junior said last night. "The last six or eight miles were torture."

Margaret Waters, a junior in Winthrop House, carried the banner for Harvard's female runners Competing in only her second marathon. Waters reached the pru in 3.03:32. "I were a Harvard shirt and people cheered me on a lot," the cross-country skier said last night. "It was hard, but it was fun, too."

For most Crimson runners, the task was to finish. Some did it in pain, some in style, some in euphoria, and most with a sense of humor Reactions at the finish included.

MIKESMART '84 (3:06.30) "Ow That's all."

JAY NORTH '84 (3.08) "I'm dead I need water Water."

DAVE WENG '84 (3:15:35) "Wellesly was great I wanted to turn around and run through there again and again."

MARK PORITZ '83 (3:16:20) "I couldn't train as much as I wanted My these was due last week."

LINDY YEAGER '84 (3:16:50) "This was my first one I think I'll do it again--next year, though."

TOM MCGUIRE '85 (3:19) "I didn't think Heartbreak Hill was so hard I don't know why everyone's so impressed."

KATHRYN DAVIS '83 (3:21): "It feels miserable. I'm exhausted and cramped up."