John Adelbert Kelley (September 6, 1907 – October 6, 2004) was an American
long-distance runner
Long-distance running, or endurance running, is a form of continuous running over distances of at least . Physiologically, it is largely aerobic in nature and requires stamina as well as mental strength.
Within endurance running comes two d ...
who twice represented his native country at the
Summer Olympics
The Summer Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'été), also known as the Games of the Olympiad, and often referred to as the Summer Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The ina ...
, in 1936 and 1948, and competed in the
Boston Marathon
The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon race hosted by several cities and towns in greater Boston in eastern Massachusetts, United States. It is traditionally held on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897, the event was ...
over 50 times, winning in 1935 and 1945. He was often dubbed "Kelley the Elder" to avoid confusion with
John J. Kelley (1930–2011; "Kelley the Younger"), winner of the 1957 Boston Marathon; the two men were not related.
Biography
Born in
West Medford,
Massachusetts
Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
, as one of ten children, Kelley ran track and cross-country at
Arlington High School in Massachusetts. He did not finish his first
Boston Marathon
The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon race hosted by several cities and towns in greater Boston in eastern Massachusetts, United States. It is traditionally held on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897, the event was ...
in 1928, but eventually competed in a record 61 Boston Marathons.
Regarded as a legend of the marathon, Kelley won the 1935 and 1945 runnings of the
Boston Marathon
The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon race hosted by several cities and towns in greater Boston in eastern Massachusetts, United States. It is traditionally held on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897, the event was ...
. He finished in second place at Boston a record seven times. Between 1934 and 1950, he finished in the top five 15 times at Boston, consistently running in the 2:30s. Kelley also ran the
Yonkers Marathon 29 times.
In 1936, Kelley overtook
Ellison "Tarzan" Brown near
Heartbreak Hill, giving him a consolatory pat on the shoulder as he passed. This gesture renewed the competitive drive in Brown, who rallied, pulled ahead of Kelley, and went on to win—thereby, it was said, breaking Kelley's heart.
A member of the U.S. Olympic Team at the
1936 Summer Olympics
The 1936 Summer Olympics (German: ''Olympische Sommerspiele 1936''), officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad (German: ''Spiele der XI. Olympiade'') and commonly known as Berlin 1936 or the Nazi Olympics, were an international multi-s ...
in Berlin, Kelley finished 18th in the marathon. He again competed for the U.S. in the
1948 Summer Olympics
The 1948 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XIV Olympiad and also known as London 1948) were an international multi-sport event held from 29 July to 14 August 1948 in London, England, United Kingdom. Following a twelve-year hiatus ...
in London.
At age 70, Kelley was still running a week and around 15 races a year. He ran his 50th
Boston Marathon
The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon race hosted by several cities and towns in greater Boston in eastern Massachusetts, United States. It is traditionally held on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897, the event was ...
in 1981; the event was also his 108th career
marathon
The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...
.
Kelley ran his last full marathon at Boston in 1992 at the age of 84, his 61st start and 58th finish there. For two more years, he ran the last .
In 1993, a commemorative statue of Kelley was erected near the City Hall of
Newton, Massachusetts
Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is approximately west of downtown Boston. Newton resembles a patchwork of thirteen villages, without a city center. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, the population of ...
, on the Boston Marathon course, one hill and about prior to the foot of Heartbreak Hill.
[
Kelley was named "Runner of the Century" by '']Runner's World
''Runner's World'' is a globally circulated monthly magazine for runners of all skills sets, published by Hearst in Easton, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Before its acquisition by Hearst, it was founded and published by Rodale, Inc. in Em ...
'' magazine in 2000. He enjoyed painting and worked in natural landscapes, producing about 20 paintings a year. One commissioned work is ''The Boston Dream'', a Primitive School painting showing the marathon course, with Hopkinton and Boston rising from the distance, as two winter runners—a woman and a man—train for their "Boston dream".
Kelley died in 2004 at age 97; he is buried in Quivet Neck Cemetery in East Dennis, Massachusetts.
Quotes
See also
* List of winners of the Boston Marathon
* Les Pawson
Notes
References
References
''Running Past'' profile
''Boston Globe'' obituary
External links
*
Photo story and obituary in the Boston Globe
Retrieved 2008-03-19
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kelley, Johnny
1907 births
2004 deaths
American male long-distance runners
Athletes (track and field) at the 1936 Summer Olympics
Athletes (track and field) at the 1948 Summer Olympics
Olympic track and field athletes of the United States
People from Arlington, Massachusetts
Boston Marathon male winners
American masters athletes
Arlington High School (Massachusetts) alumni
Sportspeople from Middlesex County, Massachusetts