Commentary : Boston Marathon Needs to Set a New Course

The Boston Marathon, a race known for the number of runners it has victimized trying to conquer the steep upgrades of Heartbreak Hill, is going downhill.

And while the Boston Athletic Assn., the race organizer, has yet to admit it is falling out of favor with runners, the race has produced two straight runaway victories by Geoff Smith of Britain against mediocre competition.

But if the BAA’s Board of Governors doesn’t come up with prize money, or some other financial incentives for next year’s race, it probably won’t have Smith or this year’s women’s winner, Lisa Larsen Weidenbach, in 1986. Both likely will run in other marathons, those offering lucrative prize and appearance money.

Both had opportunities to bypass Boston this year in favor of paying marathons in Rotterdam, London, Pittsburgh, New Jersey and Vancouver, but decided to compete in the 89th Boston Marathon for commercial reasons.

Smith was looking for a rich shoe contract, which he lost after dropping out of last year’s Olympic marathon at the 14-mile mark. Weidenbach was looking for a bonus from her shoe company, promised to her if she ran a fast time on the fast Boston course.

The hills and the heat, which reached a high of 71 degrees, caused both heartbreak, even though they won Monday.

Smith, after a sizzling early pace in which he was ahead of Welshman Steve Jones’ world-best pace of 2:08:05, after 19 miles, suffered cramps in his hamstrings on Heartbreak Hill, just past the 20-mile point, and struggled home in 2:14:05, the slowest winning time in eight years.

But he finished more than five minutes ahead of runner-up Gary Tuttle after having beaten 1984 second-place finisher Gerry Vanesse by more than four minutes.

Weidenbach, after running hard early in the race, slowed along Heartbreak Hill and won in 2:34:06, the slowest winning time in five years. Yet she finished more than eight minutes in front of runner-up Karen Dunn.

Asked about the future of the race, Smith said, “You don’t need a crystal ball.”

Asked the same question, Weidenbach said, “I think the BAA needs to make some changes.”

The BAA Board of Governors will discuss possible changes at a meeting late this month, when it also will select a new president to replace outgoing Tom Brown, 71.

“I think the race will be improved,” said Joe Catalano, Weidenbach’s coach and the athletes’ liaison for the Boston Marathon. “This was a big learning process for everyone in the BAA. I think positive steps will be taken after this year.

“They want to keep the race the best in the world. They want to keep it world class.”

Since its inception in 1897, Boston was considered the world’s leading marathon and attracted the top runners in the world. But with the recent proliferation of marathons throughout the world, Boston has paid the price for not paying the prizes.

For example, Jones accumulated nearly $100,000 in prize money, appearance money, bonus money and other extras for his brilliant performance in the 1984 America’s Marathon-Chicago.

The Chicago race and the New York City Marathon reportedly are the highest-paying marathons in the world, each having provided $25,000 to the men’s and women’s winners last year. Smith and Weidenbach both are contemplating running in one of those races this fall against far superior competition than they faced in Boston.

Among the most outspoken critics of the Boston Marathon, a bastion of amateurism throughout its storied history, have been four-time champion Bill Rodgers and 1983 winner Greg Meyer, both of whom live in suburban Boston.

Both have said they will not run in the Boston Marathon again unless there is considerable prize money.

One reason the BAA claims it can’t pay the runners is because it is paying lawyers to fight its case against Marshall Medoff.

Medoff worked as an agent to obtain sponsors for the 1982 race. A contract giving him that job was declared invalid in Superior Court, a decision upheld by the State’s Supreme Judicial Court.

A Superior Court trial, scheduled for June 4, will determine how much money Medoff should receive for his services.

“The BAA can’t do anything (about prize money for the race) until the Medoff affair is settled,” said Catalano. “They’re anxious to get that over with as soon as possible.”