On Birthday Trip to London, She Was Always on the Run

How did Mavis Lindgren of Orleans, Calif., recently celebrate her 88th birthday while visiting London? Why, she ran a marathon.

“I’ve had a wonderful day,” she said after plodding around the 26-mile, 385-yard course in nine hours, six minutes, 42 seconds.

“People sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to me all around the course, children were offering me sweets. I cramped up from time to time, but I got there.

“Now all I want is a hot bath.”

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Trivia time: Who holds the record for the lowest round in Masters history?

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Grrr! Mitch Albom of the Detroit Free Press imagines Dick Butkus doing a rap album like Deion Sanders:

“I whack your legs, I whack your feet

“I whack your head--out comes your teeth.”

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Top heavy: Todd Phipers in the Denver Post writing on Sanders sparring a few rounds with Tommy Hearns last week:

“Although it was described as ‘nonviolent,’ Sanders went to the canvas at one point from a right hand that barely landed.

“Neon Deion might have been off-balance. His right earring fell off just before the punch.”

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Pen U.: Boxing promoter Dan Duva said he wasn’t surprised that Mike Tyson has aligned himself with Don King:

“Why would anybody expect him to come out smarter than when he came in? He went to prison for three years, not Princeton.”

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Diet tip: Seattle’s replacement players lost an average of five pounds per man after Manager Lou Piniella eliminated ice cream, potato chips and cheese from the spring training menu.

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Monkey business: Some memories of Boston Garden before the NBA Celtics and NHL Bruins move into their new home, the FleetCenter, next season:

--During a World War II rubber shortage, fans were asked to return any pucks deflected off the Garden’s ice.

--A monkey from an animal show lived in the rafters for two weeks.

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Last word: Oakland A’s Manager Tony La Russa after a recent replacement game: “This wasn’t too good at all. In fact, it was bad.”

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His favorite team: Kerry Eggers in the Oregonian: “If Clyde Drexler got to play his entire career against this year’s Clippers, he’d set records even (Michael) Jordan couldn’t approach.”

Drexler averaged 29.4 points in five games against the Clippers this season, playing with Portland and Houston.

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Trivia answer: Nick Price shot a nine-under-par 63 in 1986, breaking the record of 64 shared by several players.

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Quotebook: Payne Stewart on how to prepare for putting on the greens at Augusta National: “I’m going to go out and putt on concrete for a while.”