John Joseph Kelley
(The Younger)
(1930-2011)

1957 Boston Marathon Champion.  U.S. National Marathon Champion eight straight times, 1956-1963.  Two time Olympian. (1956 &1960)  Five second place finishes at Boston.  Pan American Games Marathon Champion in 1959.

Born in New London, Connecticut on December 24, 1930.  

Johnny attended Bulkeley High School in New London, CT where, after running a national record 4:21.8 mile his senior year, he was named top schoolboy miler in the country. As a freshman at Boston University in 1950, in seven cross-country meets he was undefeated and smashed five course records. 

Jock Semple's View of John

As Jock Semple wrote in his book, Just Call Me Jock :

"It was a long road from our marathons in the 1930's to Shorter's Olympic win in 1972, but I look at Johnny's 1957 Boston run as the pivotal event for the American marathon.  I see 1957 as the halfway point; Johnny took a stone and placed it down, so that Shorter and Rodgers could spring off it.  I'm happy to have held the blanket.  

Young John should be given more credit for creating the line of college runners in America that starts with himself and goes right up through Buddy Edelen to Amby Burfoot, Kenny Moore, Frank Shorter, Bill Rodgers, Craig Virgin and all the rest yet to come.  Before Johnny there was none of that.  There were only us 'plodders'."

In the Melbourne Games of 1956, John led the marathon for the first 12 miles. Suffering in the 85 degree heat, he finished 21st in 2:43:40.

In Rome, at the Olympic Games of 1960, John finished the marathon in 2:24:58, first American.