Third Boston Marathon
For Bethel’s T. Burgos
By Sandy Vondrasek

Usually, after a marathon, runners have sore muscles and maybe blisters to contend with. Tom Burgos of Bethel, who was among the 27,000 people running the 112^th Boston Marathon Monday, said this week that his worst post-race issue was sunburn.

Monday was a gloriously sunny day, Burgos said, and happily, not as hot as some recent years.

"So everyone looked better," he said, as they worked their way from rural Hopkinton, 26 miles west of Boston, to the finish line near Copley Square.

Burgos, who was back for his third Boston Marathon after a few years’ break—he ran in ’03 and ‘04—had a great day, made even nicer by the fact that son Peter joined his dad in Newton Hills for the last nine miles of the race.

"We picked it up when he jumped in," said Burgos, who was running with marathon with two friends from out-of-state.

Burgos, who is 50, ended with a respectable three hours, 28 minutes, and 30 seconds (3:28:30), putting him 525th in his division, and 6246 overall.

For the record, Kenyan Robert Cheruiyot won his fourth Boston Marathon with a 2:07:46 time.

Top female runner was Ethiopian Dire Tune, who crossed the finish line at 2:25:25, two seconds ahead of the second-place winner.

Burgos’ time this year was down from the 2:57 Vermont City Marathon he ran six years ago, which was also his qualifier to run in his first Boston Marathon. Out of field of 6000, Burgos was 44^th overall, and sixth in his division.

Of course, this year, Burgos had a pretty laid-back training schedule, almost a "silly" schedule, he said. He ran just one day a week.

This year, his experience, and ability to physically "inventory" his body—knowing when to push and when to pull up a little—helped make Monday a good day.

It was a good weekend in the city, as well. There were two trips to Fenway Park, a couple of obligatory big pasta meals, and the "really inspiring" experience on Sunday of watching the U.S. Olympics trials for women marathoners.

There is more running in the future. Burgos and his son are entering this year’s Vermont City Marathon as a two-person relay team, with each running half of the 26-mile course in the Burlington area.

According to the Boston Marathon website, other area residents in the race included Carol Ritttenhouse of Bethel, and Michele Ricci of Gaysville.