John J. Kelley
Encyclopedia
John Joseph Kelley was the winner of the 1957 Boston Marathon
and the marathon at the 1959 Pan American Games
and a member of two United States
Olympic
Marathon
teams. He was often dubbed John "The Younger" to avoid confusion with Johnny "The Elder" Kelley
, the winner of the 1935 and 1945 Boston Marathons. The two men were not related.
. He began racing in marathons during his college years. From 1950-54, he attended Boston University
, located about a mile from the Boston Marathon finish line. While there, he excelled in team races and would run his first two Boston Marathons, in 1953 and 1954. He finished fifth in the 1953 race before following up with a 7th place finish the next year. After graduating, he finished 2nd in the 1956 Boston Marathon and made his way onto the U.S. Olympic Marathon team which competed in Melbourne
, Australia
during the same year. He would go on to win the Boston Marathon outright in 1957 while setting a new course record on the remeasured course.
After his win at Boston, Kelley would win several other marathons, including eight consecutive wins of the Yonkers Marathon
in Yonkers, New York
. As a result of his record setting performance at Yonkers in 1960, he again found his way onto the U.S. Olympic Marathon team and competed in the 1960 Olympics in Rome. He placed 21st and 19th in the Melbourne and Rome Olympic marathons, respectively.
, Kelley coached Amby Burfoot, winner of the 1968 Boston Marathon. In addition to coaching, he found work over the years as a newspaper columnist, free lance writer, cab driver and running wear store co-owner.
Boston Marathon
The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon hosted by the U.S. city of Boston, Massachusetts, on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897 and inspired by the success of the first modern-day marathon competition in the 1896 Summer Olympics, the Boston Marathon is the world's oldest...
and the marathon at the 1959 Pan American Games
1959 Pan American Games
The 3rd Pan American Games opened on August 27, 1959 in sunny 90°F heat before 40,000 people in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The first Pan American Games held in North America, they were originally scheduled for Cleveland, Ohio, but the U.S. Congress’s decision to cut $5,000,000 in federal...
and a member of two United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
Marathon
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
teams. He was often dubbed John "The Younger" to avoid confusion with Johnny "The Elder" Kelley
Johnny Kelley
John Adelbert "Johnny" Kelley was an American long-distance runner who twice represented his native country at the Summer Olympics, in 1936 and 1948....
, the winner of the 1935 and 1945 Boston Marathons. The two men were not related.
Career summary
Kelley was born in Norwich, ConnecticutNorwich, Connecticut
Regular steamship service between New York and Boston helped Norwich to prosper as a shipping center through the early part of the 20th century. During the Civil War, Norwich once again rallied and saw the growth of its textile, armaments, and specialty item manufacturing...
. He began racing in marathons during his college years. From 1950-54, he attended Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
, located about a mile from the Boston Marathon finish line. While there, he excelled in team races and would run his first two Boston Marathons, in 1953 and 1954. He finished fifth in the 1953 race before following up with a 7th place finish the next year. After graduating, he finished 2nd in the 1956 Boston Marathon and made his way onto the U.S. Olympic Marathon team which competed in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
during the same year. He would go on to win the Boston Marathon outright in 1957 while setting a new course record on the remeasured course.
After his win at Boston, Kelley would win several other marathons, including eight consecutive wins of the Yonkers Marathon
Yonkers Marathon
The Yonkers Marathon, held in Yonkers, New York, is the second oldest marathon in the United States, after the Boston Marathon. The course of the Yonkers Marathon is known as being tough and hilly....
in Yonkers, New York
Yonkers, New York
Yonkers is the fourth most populous city in the state of New York , and the most populous city in Westchester County, with a population of 195,976...
. As a result of his record setting performance at Yonkers in 1960, he again found his way onto the U.S. Olympic Marathon team and competed in the 1960 Olympics in Rome. He placed 21st and 19th in the Melbourne and Rome Olympic marathons, respectively.
John J. Kelley's Boston Marathons
- 1953 2:28:19 5th
- 1954 2:28:51 7th
- 1956 2:14:33 2nd
- 1957 2:20:05 1st
- 1958 2:30:51 2nd
- 1959 2:23:43 2nd
- 1960 DNF
- 1961 2:23:54 2nd
- 1962 2:28:37 4th
- 1963 2:21:09 2nd
- 1964 2:27:23 7th
- 1965 2:25:23 14th
- 1967 2:25:25 12th
- 1968 2:37:03 15th
- 1969 2:31:36 22nd
- 1970 2:36:50 63rd
- 1971 2:44:10 96th
- 1972 2:40:05 79th
- 1973 2:41:13 66th
- 1974 2:32:18 78th
- 1975 2:34:11 169th
- 1976 2:46:43 154th
- 1977 2:46:26 353rd
- 1980 2:55:45
- 1982 2:55:50
- 1983 2:55:30
- 1984 2:58:35
- 1986 3:01:40
- 1987 3:08:46
- 1988 3:28:53
- 1989 3:46:50
- 1992 4:07:32
Trivia
Kelley is the only runner to ever win both the Boston Marathon and the Mount Washington Road Race, which he won in 1961. He made the ascent in one hour and 8 minutes 54 seconds, nearly seven minutes faster than the winning times in the three previous years the race had been held, 1936-1938.Later years
After his career as a runner ended, he went on to a successful career as high school running coach. At Fitch High School in Groton, ConnecticutGroton, Connecticut
Groton is a town located on the Thames River in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 39,907 at the 2000 census....
, Kelley coached Amby Burfoot, winner of the 1968 Boston Marathon. In addition to coaching, he found work over the years as a newspaper columnist, free lance writer, cab driver and running wear store co-owner.