BOSTON (AP) — Tatangkain ni Ben Beach na mahila ang record sa pagsabak sa Boston Marathon sa 50 sunod na taon.
Nagsimulang sumali si Beach sa pamosong running event sae edad na 18-anyos noong 1968. Ngayon, sae edad na 67, nais ng Bethesda, Maryland native na makagawa ng kasaysayan sa kanyang ika-50 pagtatapos sa pinakamatikas na marathon event sa mundo.
Ang itinuturing na Cal Ripken ng Boston race ay kabilang sa 81 katao na may 25 consecutive trips sa 26.2-mile Boston route. Bahagi rin siya ng siyam katao na may 40-run streak. Kung sakali,siya pa lamang ang makakakuha ng 50 streak.
“The whole idea of running 26 miles in that kind of weather just kind of appealed to my senses — the bizarre,” aniya. “I just said to myself that day ... I’m gonna run that.”
“You got in line for the doctor and when you got up to the front ... the doctor puts a stethoscope to try to determine if you could make it to the Prudential Building (finish line),”pahayag ni Beach. “I don’t know if anybody got turned down or what.”
Sa kanyang unang takbo, naitala niya ang tatlong oras, at 23 minuto.
Noong 2002, tumapos siya sa tyempong 3:07:50. Noong 2012, mas mabagal siya sa oras na 5:55:22. Ang kanyang best time ay 2:27:26 noong 1981.
“As long as I’m physically able I’d go back the next year because again it’s in my blood,” he said. “I’m not on a suicide mission here, though. If it really looks like I’m putting myself in serious risk, then I think I’ll have the common sense to say it’s been great, but all good things must come to an end.