Million-Dollar Boston Marathon Shapes Up as Outstanding Race

After stumbling through its early efforts as a prize-money race, the 92-year-old Boston Marathon now is coping with the big bucks era with enthusiasm and hopes for a surprise or two on April 18.

The million-dollar marathon on Patriots’ Day is the world’s oldest and now the world’s richest, but the first prize of $45,000 and the new $35,000 Mercedes Benz may be secondary this year. A trip to the Seoul Olympics is on the line for many in the star-filled field and that factor could produce a world record race.

Kenya and Tanzania, the running super powers of the 1980s, are among several nations using Boston as their Olympic trials and some lesser-known African runners will be trying to beat their favored rivals.

Finland also has sent its best hopes and dark horses, and other nations--including Great Britain, Italy and Mexico--have indicated they would carefully consider Olympic hopefuls who run well at Boston.

While most of the world is again sending its best to tackle the 26-mile, 385-yard hill-and-dale from Hopkinton to Boston, top Americans are notable absentees. The Athletics Congress awarded the men’s U.S. Olympic trials to the April 24 New Jersey Waterfront Marathon and the women’s race to the Pittsburgh Marathon on May 1.

The Boston Marathon has a full-time race director for the first time in its history, appointed after last year’s shaky sophomore performance as a prize-money race. Guy Morse, who was promoted to the race director’s post from his job as the administrator of the host Boston Athletic Assn., is mostly concerned with avoiding a repeat of last year’s debacles.

“Simple and fundamental mistakes were made last year,” Morse said. “The problems were pretty easily identifiable and easily correctable. They never should have happened.”

Morse hopes better communication will keep the starting gun from going off before course marshals can reel in the rope that holds back the runners--the same rope Australia’s Rob de Castella tripped and tumbled over last year.

“There will be no rope this year,” Morse promised.

The 1987 wheelchair race began in a heap of flesh and spokes after a collision and spill at the start due to slick roads and a sharp descent. Morse has restructured the wheelchair start, with the runners remaining in formation until they have cleared the initial downhill stretch.

The problems were an eye-opener for the 101-year-old BAA, which moved swiftly after the 1987 race to make Morse the full-time race director. A technical coordinator was also hired to attend to the race’s “finer points.”

“It’s like having a glitch on a record album,” 1976 winner Jack Fultz, now the marathon’s elite athlete liaison, said of last year’s problems. “You can have a record album full of beautiful music, but you’ll always be looking for that one glitch.”

Fultz acknowledges the administration of the race did not keep pace with its evolution into a prize-money event.

“It actually took a couple of years for the organization and administration of the race to catch up to the fact that it was a professional race with prize money and the best athletes in the world,” Fultz said.

“But every year you’re one year smarter. Even though the race is very dynamic and changes from year to year, there are certain basics that have to be addressed every year. You have to cover all the potential contingencies and scenarios before they happen. It’s a lot of detail work.

“We keep our fingers crossed, what with Murphy’s Law (whatever can go wrong will go wrong) being what it is,” he added.

Loss of the Americans should be no problem for the Boston Marathon, in the third year of a 10-year, $10 million sponsorship pact with John Hancock Financial Services.

Boston, in fact, could have the last laugh, considering the talent at hand.

While defending champion Toshihiko Seko of Japan will be absent, Boston once again has the opportunity to host a dream marathon, with many of the world’s best lining up on Patriots’ Day.

Returning are 1987’s second- and third-place finishers Steve Jones and Geoff Smith of Great Britain. Jones, the former world record holder, holds history’s second fastest time of 2:07:13. Smith won Boston in 1984 and 1985.

Also back is Juma Ikangaa of Tanzania, who this year is in shape to run a good marathon. Last year an out-of-shape and injured Ikangaa finished 11th, but this year regained the form that earned him the world’s No. 1 ranking in 1986, running a 2:08:33 for second place at Tokyo in February.

Boston has also lured Kenya’s Ibrahim Hussein, winner of last fall’s New York City Marathon, 2:08:33-marathoner Abebe Mekonnen of Ethiopia and Ahmed Saleh of Djibuti, who owns a 2:08:09 best. Orlando Pizzolato and Gelindo Bordin, Italy’s best, are also running.

Portugese dynamo Rosa Mota returns to defend her laurel wreath in the women’s division with an eye on a second Olympic medal. Mota, the bronze medalist at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, also won the World Championships in Rome last fall.

Again there is a lack of depth on the women’s side, with 42-year-old Priscilla Welch of Great Britain as Mota’s closest challenger. Welch won at New York last fall, but appears to have a better shot at Boston’s masters (over 40) title.

Four-time winner Bill Rodgers of Dover, Mass., will make his first assault on the master’s marathon title. Rodgers, who turned 40 last Dec. 23, is gunning for Barry Brown’s 2:15:15 American record.