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The most famous hill in
all of running is almost
certainly “Heartbreak Hill”,
between miles 20 and 21
of the Boston Marathon course.
In 1936, while running the
last of the four Newton
hills, defending champion
Johnny Kelley finally caught
the leader, Ellison “Tarzan”
Brown. As he passed him,
Kelley gave him a gentle
pat on the shoulder, figuring
that Brown would quickly
fade. Instead, Brown,
motivated by this bold move,
immediately regained the
lead and went on to win.
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The late Boston Globe sportswriter
Jerry Nason coined the term
“Heartbreak Hill” in the
next day’s issue when he
described Kelley’s bitter
defeat ("breaking Kelley's
heart").
Every Patriots Day since
1936, Heartbreak Hill on
Commonwealth Avenue in Newton
has become a focal point
for many of Boston's most
vocal and knowledgeable
marathon spectators ----
particularly those eager
to witness the drama (and
agony) as runners strive
to conquer the most challenging
section of this historic
course.
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