MARATHON MAN
Bath's Dave Stewart finishes first Boston Marathon
By ROB PRICE THE COURIER-ADVOCATE

Dave Stewart of Bath shows off his Boston Marathon medal in Pulteney Park last week.

BATH - What does it take to finish the Boston Marathon?

A lot of determination, according to Dave Stewart of Bath, who at the age of 64 ran in his first Boston Marathon last week.

"I just put my mind to it," Stewart told The Courier after finishing with a time of four hours, 11 minutes and 55 seconds. "I decided, I'm just going to deal with it."

Stewart said he began running 20 years ago and tried his first marathon - the Walt Disney World Marathon - in 1998. It was an unpleasant experience, with an exhausted Stewart walking across the finish line with a time of six hours and 40 minutes.

He decided to give up his dreams of marathon running, but then discovered a low carb energy drink that restored his strength. In November 2006, he ran his second marathon in Philadelphia, finishing with a respectable time of three hours, 58 minutes and 30 seconds. That qualified him for the Boston Marathon, and Stewart bore down with a steady weekly running schedule developed by a runners' webiste.

This year's Boston Marathon was held under miserable conditions, as a Nor-easter soaked the east coast and temperatures drifted around the 30s. When he finished, Stewart said, he was "exhausted and cold," and suffering from hypothermia. Nevertheless, he had finished - placing 14,916 in a field of 20,640, and 294 in a field of 664 comprised of runners 60 to 69 years of age.

It helped, he said, to have the support of his family. His wife, two children and four grandchildren drove to Boston with him to cheer him on. "Knowing they were there helped a lot," Stewart said.

Sheer guts helped too. "I wanted to show," said Stewart, "how it is possible for a 64- year-old to get into shape and accomplish his goal."