FOOTNOTES

April 26th, 2011

Toronto woman wins age group at Boston Marathon

Toronto's Jean Marmoreo, 68, finished Monday's Boston Marathon first in her age group with a personal-best time of 3:45:01.

Toronto's Jean Marmoreo, 68, finished Monday's Boston Marathon first in her age group with a personal-best time of 3:45:01.

BY Chloé Fedio Staff Reporter

A 68-year-old Toronto woman has finished the Boston Marathon first in her age group — and she did it nearly 10 minutes faster than last year. Once the adrenaline wore out, Jean Marmoreo said there was only one thing left to do.

"I’m lying on the floor, thank you," she told the Star after Monday’s race.

This is the third year in a row that Jean Marmoreo finished first in the 65-69 age category. Last year she finished in 3:54:10, but now, one year older, she completed the 42-kilometre race in 3:45:01.

Marmoreo said it the time was one second short of her goal, but still a personal best.

"I’ve very happy. I was more pleased than I could say with my time," she said.

The family physician has been banned from running in the past for cheating.

Under Marmoreo’s direction, the Toronto women’s running group JeansMarines was found to have cut more than 6 kilometres from the 42-kilometre Marine Corps Marathon course in Washington in 2005. She was barred from entering the 2006 competition but took the team back the following year.

"We took it in the neck and came back," she said.

Six years after the controversy, Marmoreo said she’s proud to run in the Boston Marathon, which just completed it 115th running.

"I’m always impressed when I’m running Boston," she said. "It’s 27,000 absolute heroes out there."