time Boston Marathon champion who became a beloved figure in the history of the race by running it a record 61 times, died on Wednesday night (6 Oct) at the age of 97.
Kelley, a former Olympian and member of the USA Track & Field, National Distance Running and Road Runners Club of America Halls of Fame, he won America's oldest marathon in 1935 and 1945 and finished second a record seven times. He was 84 when he ran his last Boston Marathon.
Kelley completed 58 Boston Marathons, also a record, and had 18 finishes in the top 10.
Kelley finished 18th in the marathon at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. He made the Olympic team again in 1940, but the Games were cancelled because of World War II. In the 1948 London Olympics, he finished 21st at age 40.
The Associated Press
