Iron Legs

First runner to cross the finish line of the Boston Marathon last week was 85-year-old Peter Foley. Loping along Commonwealth Avenue, his arms hanging loosely at his sides, his pink-striped trunks ballooning in the April breeze, gnome-like

Peter Foley was only moderately flushed by his 26-mile jog. Skeptics along the sidelines suspected that the grinning oldster was guilty of some capricious prank. But they were mistaken. White-whiskered, toothless Peter Foley, who weighs only 119 pounds but has a blacksmith's handshake, had actually run the full marathon distance. But he had started two hours ahead of the field.

Five minutes later, 33-year-old Leslie Pawson, Pawtucket playground instructor, bounded over the finish line to become the fourth two-time winner in the 42-year history of the famed Boston race. His time--over the grueling, hilly course from Hopkinton to Boston--was 2 hr., 35 min.

But Oldster Foley was unquestionably the hero of the day. The oldest marathoner in the world, he is probably the most durable as well. A onetime diamond setter, Peter Foley has been running in almost every Boston Marathon since the turn of the century. When he reached his 55th birthday, the Boston Athletic Association refused to accept his entry blank. Undaunted, Peter Foley began to run his own individual marathon. For years he used to start just one minute after the official field, but gave up that practice when he found that his friends couldn't find him among the crowd of also-rans. This year he gave himself a good head start. At the end of last week's race, refreshing himself with a glass of water, Peter Foley chuckled: "Not the least bit winded--not a bit. Just a sore toe and a sunburn."

In a London suburb last week, on the eve of his 70th birthday, Scotsman Sandy Herd, onetime (1902) British Open golf champion, became the hero of the $5,000 Rickmansworth Open, when he scored a 67, six under par, in the second round. His 30 for the first nine holes set a new record for major British tournaments, but Oldster Herd had to be content with 19th place (288) at the end of the tournament.

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