Costello approaches Boston Marathon ‘silver anniversary’
A silver anniversary is a momentous occasion in a person’s life. Whether it is in a marriage, employment or, for some, life, celebrating 25 years of accomplishment is worth the hoopla. That’s the attitude Bob Costello presented as he looked forward to his 25th start and, more importantly, finish in the 107th running of the Boston Marathon on Patriots’ Day, a state holiday in Massachusetts on Monday.
“I didn’t plan on running 25 straight (Boston Marathons). Doing anything for 25 years, working, a marriage, is pretty impressive,” the Connellsville native said.
Completing the 26.2-mile course through the surrounding towns of Boston for a 25th time will put Costello in select company. Only 27 men have finished 25 or more consecutive marathons entering the 2003 race with Drexel Hill’s Neil Weygandt heading the list with 36 in a row.
Making the streak even more impressive is the fact participants must hit a qualifying time to run in the race and it is a closed field. This year’s race will be shut off at 20,000 official runners. The qualifying time for Costello’s age group of 45-49 is three hours and 30 minutes.
Only twice has Costello not hit “the time,” the second being in 2002, forcing him to meet the qualifying time in another marathon. Costello battled foot problems last year, continuing only because of the 25th race looming so close. He made the time in the Columbus Marathon last fall.
Costello ran track and cross country at Connellsville High School, but had an interesting reason for participating in the two sports.
“I was in the band and I wanted to get better in my wind. I played the trumpet,” Costello explained.
The 1972 Connellsville grad ran track for three years, though because he ran the 2-mile (distances were in yards and miles back then) he was limited to only that event. Costello pleaded to run the mile and open up more events, but his pleas fell on deaf coaching ears.
“Since I was in the band, we weren’t allowed to do cross country and the band. In my senior year, I went to the band director and asked if I could run cross country. He okayed it. I trained on my own and ran in the meets. That senior cross country season made a big difference in track that year,” Costello said.
Costello matriculated to Indiana University of Pa. and ran from his sophomore through senior years. A business education teacher, Costello was hired at Bedford High School to teach and coach the track team. His years of coaching at Bedford were interesting due to the lack of funds, facilities and equipment.
Costello returned to his alma mater and received his MBA in 1981, working in retail and substitute teaching before deciding to return to teaching full-time. He is in his 10th year at Laurel Highlands. Costello is in his seventh year as the boys track coach, completing six as the boys cross country coach in addition to being the faculty advisor of the year book and Photo Club.
Costello ran his first marathon in Toledo while in college in 1974, believing it to be his last after finishing the course in 2:50 or so. His “never again” attitude relented when he returned to Toledo in 1978 with a 2:51 marathon.
He ran the New York City Marathon later that year with some friends that spurred him to look to Boston.
“Jerry Davidson, a high school friend, was living in Boston. I stayed with him,” Costello said.
Costello ran a 2:41 marathon in his first attempt. Among the 6,000 or so other competitors was Joan Benoit Samuelson, who would become an Olympic champion running in her first Boston Marathon. Benoit Samuelson won her first Boston Marathon that year in a time of 2:35:15.
Costello’s best time was in 1981 (2:25:41) and his best finish was 110th, though he actually led the race in 1987 for nearly a mile.
“I was seeded 245th so I was in the fourth row back. The race start is on a two-lane highway. They had ropes separating the runners. When the race started they didn’t drop the ropes fast enough and runners were tripping. I didn’t want to get caught up, so I shot to the left and put my head down. I looked up and saw the lead truck. ‘Wow, I’m leading the Boston Marathon.’
“I told myself I wanted to stay here for the first mile and ‘the mile better come pretty soon.’ I got close enough. I got out of the way. I went from leading the Boston Marathon to being the person most passed.”
With his demands at the high school, preparation for his annual event becomes more difficult every year. The winter of 2002-03 didn’t help.
“Mentality, my approach hasn’t changed. I’m still competitive. Physically, it’s changed. I can’t find the time to train. Weekends are meant for long runs. I feel I could run under three hours if I had the time to train.”
What Costello loses in training he makes up in knowledge and experience.
“Boston’s my home marathon course. The experience trades off with the training. My experience is worth five, six minutes. It’s not a quick course, but it’s not a fast course. I break it into 26 one-mile races,” Costello said.
Listening to Costello describe the scene makes all the madness seem to be worth the trouble.
“The fans are so knowledgeable. It’s still a thrill to run that last mile. There’s nothing like the last mile in the Boston Marathon.”
One marathon Costello always finishes first is the Pittsburgh Marathon. A photographer for the marathon on the lead truck, Costello is always the first long distance runner to cross the finish line. Added to his long list of running accomplishments, Costello is one of a select few to participate in every Pittsburgh Great Race.
Technology has advanced to the point where the progress of Costello and the other 20,000 runners, including Laurel Highlands graduate Jason Bodnar, can be checked periodically on the Internet. Costello’s bib number is 7711 and his progress can be monitored at the Boston Marathon website at www.baa.org
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As far as his place in the history and future in the race, Costello said, “It’ll be neat to see my name on the Internet (for consecutive Boston Marathons). I’ll get 25 in and take it from there.”