Boston Marathon

The last time the Orioles met the Red Sox, they played baseball's version of the Boston Marathon - a 17-inning game at Fenway Park that completed Baltimore's first sweep of Boston since 1994. And the last time the Red Sox came to Camden Yards, they left with their season shattered, sending them prematurely into an offseason of upheaval. Its pretty clear that the Orioles have had the Red Sox's number of late, beating Boston in seven of their last eight entering Monday. But these Red Sox arrived at Camden Yards surging, winners of eight of their last 10 games as they try to work their way out of the early-season American League East cellar.

The last time the Orioles met the Red Sox, they played baseball's version of the Boston Marathon - a 17-inning game at Fenway Park that completed Baltimore's first sweep of Boston since 1994. And the last time the Red Sox came to Camden Yards, they left with their season shattered, sending them prematurely into an offseason of upheaval. Its pretty clear that the Orioles have had the Red Sox's number of late, beating Boston in seven of their last eight entering Monday. But these Red Sox arrived at Camden Yards surging, winners of eight of their last 10 games as they try to work their way out of the early-season American League East cellar.

Runner: Will Knowx Hometown: Cockeysville Time: 2:33:25 Overall finish: 107 Runner: Mark Buschman Hometown: Columbia Time: 2:38:02 Overall finish: 175 Runner: Adnrew Jaffe Hometown: Baltimore Time: 2:38:48 Overall finish: 184 Runner: Yuji Funakoshi Hometown: Silver Spring Time: 2:41:25 Overall finish: 240 Runner: Brandon Brown Hometown: Hagerstown Time: 2:45:07 Overall finish: 338 Runner: Peter Henning Hometown: Chevy...

The Orioles fast start has been pretty simple: The starters have pitched well, going deep into games and keeping the Orioles in most contests. Strong starting pitching has allowed the bullpen to stay fresh - and be effective. And the offense, which is solid, has been able to mount rallies, partially because the games are rarely out of reach. Even shoddy defense has been somewhat negated by the way the starters have pitched. Sure, there are more complex answers, but simply put, the Orioles rotation has done well, and so have the Orioles.

BOSTON -- They stood side by side -- Cosmas Ndeti of Kenya holding three fingers aloft, Uta Pippig of Germany holding two -- signifying their consecutive victories in the Boston Marathon, one having silenced a legion of doubters, the other having charmingly satisfied all expectations, both having combined to establish a first in the event.It happens year after year. The experts predict that Ndeti will fail in Boston because he runs infrequently and unimpressively elsewhere. Yet, yesterday, in the 99th running, he became only the third man to win Boston three times in succession, joining Clarence DeMar (1922-24)

There was ballyhoo at the Boston Marathon last week in that both the top male and female U.S. finishers were only 31st.This happened partly because many top American marathoners opted to compete in the men's and women's Olympic Marathon Trials earlier this year.But Abderazzak Haki, a 24-year-old native of Marrakech, Morocco, living in Baltimore, was the second-highest foreign finisher living in the United States.Haki, who has won the Columbus (Ohio) Marathon, the Seaside (Ocean City) 10-Miler and the Bel Air Town Run 5K in the last year, finished 27th.

`TC EVEN AFTER 11 marathons -- or maybe especially after 11 marathons -- I approach each one with a mixture of excitement and dread. The 100th running of the Boston Marathon last Monday multiplied these emotions about 100 times.What runner wouldn't be excited? With 40,000 of the sport's best, most determined or just most social athletes taking part, it was to be the premier celebration of the road-racing ever. The Woodstock of running, some called it. A three-day party of shopping, schmoozing, and carbo-loading before the event itself.

A peculiar ritual takes place each spring in Boston. On the third Monday of April every year, about 10,000 hollow-cheeked people descend on the venerable city from all over the world. These people have worked hard for the privilege of riding in buses to the town of Hopkinton west of Boston, then running -- running, mind you -- 26.2 miles back into downtown Boston.This ritual is the Boston Marathon, the oldest annual marathon in the world and the most respected footrace in the United States.

BOSTON - History was made at last year's Boston Marathon. Never before had three runners at the head of the pack rounded the last turn together. The finish was stunning, rough and the closest ever here. Elijah Lagat, a 33-year-old Kenyan who took up running because his doctor told him he was too fat and might die, won in 2 hours, 9 minutes, 47 seconds. Gezahenge Abera of Ethiopia, only 21, was inches behind in the identical time. Moses Tanui of Kenya, 34, a two-time Boston winner, slipped to third, three seconds back.

BOSTON - Greg Meyer never thought it would be 20 years and counting until another U.S. male won the Boston Marathon. "I thought I'd win it again," said Meyer, whose 1983 victory now stands as the high-water mark for domestic road racing. "I'm surprised." In the two decades since Meyer posted his blistering time of 2 hours, 9 minutes, the sport and the race have changed dramatically, leaving the native-born Americans literally a mile behind the global leaders. For the past dozen years, marathoning - and Boston's hallowed laurel wreath - has belonged to the Africans, most of them high-altitude Kenyans.

The Boston Marathon turned out to be a hot, sweaty, grueling race for even the most experienced runners. The Boston Globe reported that more than 2,100 people were treated for heat exhaustion, dehydration and other illnesses because of temperatures that reached well into the 80s during Monday's race. It was one of those races where people were just grateful to finish. There probably weren't too many personal records that day. It could be a sign for what's to come for the rest of the running season, which may shape up to be a toasty one. But that's no reason for people to retire their running shoes for the season.

Robert Vigorito, founder and race director of the Columbia Triathlon Association, went straight to the top when choosing a spokesperson for his new race, the Iron Girl Columbia Half Marathon and Coed 5K, scheduled for April 29. Vigorito asked Joan Benoit Samuelson, a rock star in the world of racing -- breaker of world records, winner of marathons, and the first woman to win an Olympic marathon. Samuelson, now 54, is an ardent advocate for lifelong fitness, and, believe it or not, she still runs marathons.

Even before he got home from the hospital, Phil Anderson signaled for his wife, Carol, to stop the car at the entrance of the Ma and Pa Trail near their home in Bel Air. Phil Anderson, who had retired a few months earlier after more than 30 years working for Provident Bank as a computer programmer, had recently suffered a stroke that left him with a condition known as aphasia. Though his limbs were unaffected, Anderson did not have the ability to speak or recognize certain words.

Joan Benoit Samuelson twice won the Boston Marathon and then won the first women's Olympic marathon in 1984 in Los Angeles. Now 54, Benoit Samuelson was in Columbia on Friday to promote the first Columbia Iron Girl Half Marathon, scheduled for April 2012. The Columbia Iron Girl will hold its annual triathlon today. How did you become involved with the Tri-Columbia organization? [Founder] Robert Vigorito asked me if I'd be interested in coming down and helping promote the event and be part of the event.

Runner: Will Knowx Hometown: Cockeysville Time: 2:33:25 Overall finish: 107 Runner: Mark Buschman Hometown: Columbia Time: 2:38:02 Overall finish: 175 Runner: Adnrew Jaffe Hometown: Baltimore Time: 2:38:48 Overall finish: 184 Runner: Yuji Funakoshi Hometown: Silver Spring Time: 2:41:25 Overall finish: 240 Runner: Brandon Brown Hometown: Hagerstown Time: 2:45:07 Overall finish: 338 Runner: Peter Henning Hometown: Chevy...

Lost Lake, Wyoming - July 30, 2009: "I see where other hikers have tried to cross the [mountain's] snow face with ice axes and I attempt to follow in their footprints. But I take about five steps and realize with only [hiking] poles it's too dangerous and I'm not willing to die this way. ... [I end up] going around snowfields up a canyon wall of loose stone, my feet sliding out from under me. ... "Heading down the backside with its 40 percent descent is almost as suicidal as climbing up. ... This mountain is begging me to make a mistake, but I live to see another day."

BOSTON -- For the past 18 years, since Ibrahim Hussein's 1988 victory, Kenyans have dominated in the Boston Marathon. Yesterday, they continued that tradition. Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot became the 15th Kenyan to win the 110th version of the 26.2-mile race and the fourth Kenyan to win it twice. On a chilly Patriots Day afternoon, he broke countryman Cosmas Ndeti's 12-year-old course record by a second, finishing in 2 hours, 7 minutes, 14 seconds. Six more Kenyans finished in the top 20. That was no surprise.

Gary Hall Jr. has won swimming gold medals in the past three Olympics. Adam Morrison is averaging 30 minutes a game as an NBA rookie. Jason Johnson won 10 games for the Orioles in 2003. All have Type 1 diabetes, but none confronted the logistical issues that Andy Gell must overcome today at the 111th Boston Marathon. Less than a year after he was diagnosed with the disease, the Baltimore City schoolteacher will attempt to cover 26.2 miles in less than 2 hours, 50 minutes. "That's what I need to qualify for New York," Gell said.

Jill L. Mottus, a marathoner who was a prominent member of the Baltimore running scene for more than 30 years, died of cancer March 21 at Roland Park Place. She was 71. Jill Louria Ross was born in New York City and raised in Scarsdale, N.Y. After graduating from high school in 1955, she attended Wheaton College in Norton, Mass. She worked for a personnel agency in New York City before marrying Stephen J. Mottus in 1958. A Pikesville resident since 1964, Mrs. Mottus enjoyed entertaining family and friends.

RUNNERS TO WATCH Men John Itati, 34, Kenya: : Itati (right) is a two-time winner of the Baltimore Marathon. He set the course record in 2004 when he finished in 2 hours, 14 minutes, 51 seconds. He won last year in 2:16.24. He finished fifth in the Houston Marathon in 2006. Andrew Letherby, 35, Australia:: Letherby has run in some of the world's biggest marathons. His best time is 2:11.42, which he set in Berlin in 2005. He finished eighth in the 2005 Boston Marathon (2:16.38), 19th in the 2006 New York City Marathon (2:19.