HomeMy WebLinkAbout1978 04-18 Judge Kirby ran to starting line THE DISPATCH Judge Kirby ran to starting line
�p By CHARLEY WALTERS minutes or better. Kirby, still the only judge to run
Staff Writer in the Boston,was wearing his wrist watch.He said
O• it took him four minutes just to reach the starting
N Jack Kirby sounded tired. It was near midnight line from his place back in the pack. "So you can
aoN Monday night in Boston and Kirby had an excuse. take four minutes off my time,"he kidded.
Exactly 12 hours earlier he had begun his testing Kirby's time was 3:27.
` 26-mile, 385-yard run in the 82nd There were 68 Minnesotans and all finished in
Boston Marathon. 3:30 or better. Minnesota's fastest was 25-year-old
_Q Actually,. Kirby had to run a Barney Klecker of Long Prairie, who was 36th in
\w` nearly 30 miles. The 53-year old 2:20. •Minnesota also excelled in unofficial age-
Ramsey County judge from St. .:.< . group rankings. Jerry McNeal, 41, Minnetonka,
Paul, his wife and a few friends 4� was the first over the finish line in the 40-and-over
had rented a car in Boston. They 3; category. Alex Ratelle, Edina, 53, competing in his
were on the freeway to Hopkin 11th Boston Marathon, was first over 50, in 2:36.
ton, Mass., on their way to pick `' The world record over 50 is 2:29. "No question,
up their numbers at the high both McNeal and Ratelle were first in their
school so they could start the leg- divisions,"said Kirby.
endary event. "There were people all over the place," contin-
"But it was so crowded there," ued the judge. "The times would have been much
said Kirby by phone from Boston, Kirby better had we more room to get out there and run,
"that we couldn't get into Hopkinton. The traffic but it was so crowded. It was like 0. J. Simpson
was so conjested. So we got out of the car and ran trying to dodge around out there."
the 21/2 miles to get our numbers. Then we had to The marathon was Kirby's third in Boston. His
run another mile to get into the starting line." best time was last year, 3:25. He's still got a way to
Officially there were 4,212 runners for the race. go, though. A fellow from Massachusettes finished
There were 3,378 who finished in three hours, 30 in 2:36.His name is John Kelley.He is 70 years old.