75-Year-Old Bradford Man Wins Unique Boston Marathon Bragging Rights
BOSTON (CBS) -- He's a little stiff on the day after, but Tom Wylie holds a unique distinction from the 2019 Boston Marathon: he's the last local person to cross the finish line with an official time.
That's because race officials stop recording the official times late in the afternoon. So even though a lot of runners crossed after Wylie, the 75-year-old Bradford resident still has bragging rights, of an unusual kind.
"I'm feeling better. Usually, the day after you're stiff, but it's important to move it around a little bit," said Wylie as he broke into a run near his home.
This is nothing new for him. "I've been running for 45 years. I started when I was 30 years old in 1974," he said.
Monday was his fifth Boston, and 14th marathon, with plenty of shorter races in there, too. "Running is a big part of who I am."
His first marathon was in 1977 in Newport, R.I. where he finished in three hours, two minutes. Monday, 42 years later at age 75, he did it in six hours, 15 minutes, giving him the distinction of being the last local runner to finish with an official time.
"I'm a happy guy. What can I say?" The important thing is he did it, and how many of us can say that.
"This was a special one for me. I just turned three-quarters of a century at the end of March and I just wanted to do it once more. I wanted to do Boston once more," he said.
At an age when many people want to put their feet up, Wylie is keeping his firmly on the pavement. "I feel fortunate, and I stayed with it. Because no matter how you feel when you start, you always feel better at the end."
Wylie made the marathon run as part of a team from the New England 65-Plus Runners Club.
