Now that the 2015 Boston Marathon is over, it’s time that running enthusiasts turn their attention to Philadelphia. But before we do, let’s reflect on what happened in Boston first. Ethiopian Lelisa Desisa, who won his first Boston Marathon in 2013 – but only enjoyed it for a couple hours before two bombs went off at the finish line – won again yesterday. He finished in 2 hours, 9 minutes and 17 seconds to claim a winners medal to replace the one he donated to the city two years ago in memory of the victims. This one he plans to keep – and enjoy. Who can blame him?

The women’s race was won by Carolina Rotich from Kenya. She beat the runner-up in a sprint down Boylston Street to win by four seconds!

The American who won last year, Meb Keflezighi, who will turn 40 next month, was among the leaders until the 35k mark, when he took a drink of water that went down the wrong way. He had to stop to vomit five times.

He was crying as he was running on Boylston Street, caught up in the emotion of it. Last year he wrote the names of the bombing victims on his bib.

This upcoming weekend the Penn Relays will be held at Franklin Field in Philadelphia. It is the oldest and largest track and field competition in the country. It has been held annually since 1895.

Franklin Field was the site of the first national scoreboard. It’s the oldest field to serve as both a football stadium and a track and field stadium. It was also where the first football game was broadcast.
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More spectators have watched the Penn Relays than any other in the world except the Olympics and the World Championships. It cost $100,000 to build in 1895 – which is the equivalent of about $2.8 million today.

The event features top-flight international talent from around the world, including the Caribbean, and other regions around the globe.  It’s become a magnet for some of the Caribbean’s best talent in the sport.

I remember many years ago one of the fastest guys in our neighborhood competing in the high school event and getting blown away.

Last year, John Coughlin, son of former Villanova University three time Olympian Eamonn Coughlan, competed for Ireland.  His distance medley relay team came in third behind The United States, the winner, and Australia, the runner-up. Eamonn, in 1979, set a then world record of 3 minutes and 52.6 minutes for the indoor mile. He lowered it to 3:48.78 in 1983. At age 41, he became the first runner over 40 to run a sub four minute mile.

I remember him fondly. My very first W-2 job was working in the pie shop at Villanova. Coughlan and his fellow runners would come in around 9 o’clock just about every night. I doled out ice cream cones and he always wanted me to give him more generous scoops than I normally would.

I, like his son John, knew little about his many accomplishments until years later.