[DallasMike]

I want Bush to win as badly as anybody but I really can't fault Kerry if he can't remember the exact year in which he ran the Boston Marathon. It might be a different story though if had he claimed to have the Boston Marathon but, in fact, had not.

[conservative in nyc]

I want Bush to win as badly as anybody but I really can't fault Kerry if he can't remember the exact year in which he ran the Boston Marathon. It might be a different story though if had he claimed to have the Boston Marathon but, in fact, had not.

Well, there's no evidence that Kerry ever ran in ANY Boston Marathon. The burden should be on Kerry to prove that he did as he said and isn't just running his mouth again.

[Rummyfan]

If you've ever trained for and run a marathon, you would remember the year you did it.

[ProudVet77]

If you run the marathon you remember the year, or the number of the marathon. I ran the 99th and 101st.
The BAA has a complete list of all bib numbers and it would be easy enough to prove/disprove. I'd be willing to bet that kerry doesn't know how accessible they are.
You also don't just run the marathon. You have to qualify, unless you buy your way in via donations to various charities.

[GeoPie]

First, you need to either 1.) Qualify to run Boston. Not an easy task. OR win a lottery to get into the race (also very hard). Boston is very VERY HARD to getinto, and every long distance runners dream. For instance, I am 31 years old. i would have to run a 3:10 marathon to qualify. I just finished my second marathon this last weekend, and lets just say I would have to take about an hour off my time!

Secondly, Boston keeps a log of everyone that has run this marathon and their times. It is easily verifiable.

Anyone who is a marathon runner knows the prestige of saying you have run Boston. It is a total insult for someone to just say "Ya, I ran Boston". It's like saying I invented the internet, only more insulting.

[VadeRetro]

I want Bush to win as badly as anybody but I really can't fault Kerry if he can't remember the exact year in which he ran the Boston Marathon. It might be a different story though if had he claimed to have the Boston Marathon but, in fact, had not.

I only ran one marathon. It was Honolulu, Dec 7, 1980. I finished in 2,929th place with a time of 4 hours 5 minutes 15 seconds. The men's winner was Duncan McDonald (2 hours 16 minutes) with Frank Shorter second. Patty Lyons Catalano won for the women. There was a torrential rainstorm maybe an hour into the race for forty or fifty minutes, then it got hot and steamy as I was struggling down the last several miles from Hawaii Kai toward the finish line in Waikiki.

I have trouble imagining that I would forget everything except that I once ran the thing, twenty-something years ago.

[True Republican Patriot]

When you run your first Boston Marathon, you remember not only the year, but the day, your time, and the weather!!!!!
One who doesn't remember, Did Not Run The Boston Marathon!!

[VOA]

I want Bush to win as badly as anybody but I really can't fault Kerry if he can't
remember the exact year in which he ran the Boston Marathon.

You may be right.

But if Vegas has a line on this, I'm betting that Kerry is being his usual mendacious self.
I've never run a marathon, but like a number of other posters, I know I read
in Runner's World maybe 10 years ago about the need to qualify for the Boston marathon
by getting a good enough time in another marathon.

IIRC, at that time, folks wishing to qualify were advised to run the marathon in
St. George Utah because it wasn't a very challenging (hilly/hot/etc.) course.

I can't wait for someone to find an old articl quoting Kerry about running
the Boston in his "magic cap" from Cambodia.

[AmericanMade1776]

If John Kerry can not even remember wether he was in Cambodia for Christmas during his short four months in VietNam, than how can we ever expect John Kerry to remember when he ran in a Marathon. ( rolls eyes, and said with much sarcasm)

[Ann Archy]

You ARE kidding....he's LYING or he would know the year since the BOSTON Marathon is the biggest deal IN Boston, his home town.