Coyne Continues Quest for Record Number of Boston Marathons

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LIVINGSTON COUNTY – One Avon man’s quest to complete the most ever Boston Marathons in history has brought him through blood, sweat, and tears, and he says he is prepared to take on more than a dozen more after this, his 44th, Boston marathon.

David Coyne, 63, of Avon, is now registered to run the Boston Marathon in 12 days with nine other Livingston County residents as he chases the current world record of most Boston Marathons run set by legendary marathoner Johnny Kelley, who passed away in 2004 at age 97, with 61 completed Boston Marathons from 1928 to 1992.

“It really does get harder every year, just trying to keep your body intact,” said Coyne, 63. “I’m just trying to take it one year at a time.”

Coyne has run the Boston Marathon 44 times, crossed the finish line 39 times, and is one of 81 members of the “Quarter Century Club,” which is for runners who have finished 25 or more consecutive Boston Marathons.

Coyne recalled that his first Boston Marathon was in 1969, when he was only a junior in High School. His brother, who was a student at Northeastern University, invited him to visit Boston to run the marathon with him. At that time, anyone could run and there were not the exclusive qualifications and requirements that the race now has.

Coyne didn’t finish that first time, but came back two years later with a vengeance to finish what he had started. It would be the first of many.  To date, he has finished the Boston Marathon 39 times, 29 consecutive times since 1985, and is now biting at the bit for more.

The die hard runner spent the winter training with his running family, South of the Thruway Running Club, which is based in Livingston County.

Coyne will run as one of the ten following Livingston County residents who also qualified:

Avon –

BIB-23226 Coyne, David A. (63)

BIB-23415 Krenzer, Colleen D. (46)

BIB-20025 Schneider, Jeffrey (56)

 

Dansville

BIB-20901 Gielen, Elissa M. (51)

 

Geneseo

BIB-839 Christie, Robert (42)

BIB-16230 Moore, Gary (59)

BIB-3496 Williams, Josh M. (40)

 

Livonia

BIB-14019 Simpson, David P. (51)

BIB-5667 Anderson, Laura E. (27)

 

Mount Morris

BIB-19175 Edmunds, Danielle (38)

PHOTO CAPTION: David Coyne (Front right in orange) (Photos/South of the Thruway Runners Club)