BOSTON -- Alberto Salazar outkicked relative unknown Dick Beardsley over the final mile today to win the 86th Boston Marathon in one of the most thrilling finishes in the history of the prestigious race, with an unofficial time of 2:08.53.
Salazar, the world record holder running in his first Boston, took the lead just outside Kenmore Square and simply outsprinted the white-capped Beardsley to the finish line, easily smashing the Boston record of 2:09.26 set last year by Japan's Toshihiko Seko.
Salazar was exhausted by the intense race. Immediately after the finish, he was wrapped in blankets, placed on a cot and fed replenishing liquids as his body temperature dropped to a reported 88 degrees.
Beardsley finished two seconds behind Salazar to match the closest finish in Boston Marathon history set in the 1978 duel between four-time champion Bill Rodgers and Jeff Wells.
It was Salazar's third marathon triumph in as many entries, having earlier won the New York Marathon in 1980 and 1981.
It was a two-man duel over the final eight miles of the race, with Beardsley being the pace-setter and Salazar staying at his shoulder.
Rodgers, among the leaders over the first 14 miles, faltered badly on the hills where he normally excels and placed fourth behind John Lodwick of Dallas.
Rodgers, who had run five previous marathons this year and who normally prefers to run in cooler weather, may have been affected by the 68-degree temperatures. He often used water offered by spectators to douse his head.
West Germany's Charlotte Teske, 32, pulled the upset of the day by winning the women's division in an unofficial time of 2:29.33.
Former Boston Marathon winner Jacqueline Gareau of Canada was second. The heavy favorite, world record holder Grete Waitz of Norway, held the lead up to the 24-mile mark before falling off.
Teske's time was off the Boston Marathon women's record of 2:25.28 set last year by New Zealand's Allison Roe. In January, Teske won the Orange Bowl Marathon in Miami in a time of 2:29.2.
'I thought I was second in the race,' said Teske. 'I only knew it (that I won) when I crossed the finish line.'
Beardsley, considered a top threat in view of a recent marathon victory in his native Minnesota, made a final attempt to catch Salazar as the two turned onto Ring Road for the 200-yard sprint to the finish.
But Salazar, an accomplished track star, put on another burst of speed to thwart Beardsley to receive the traditional laurel wreath.
Salazar, 23, grew up in nearby Wayland but until Monday had never run the Boston course from start to finish.
Only nine days ago he ran in an invitational race in Eugene, Ore., where he attended college, and finished second while registering the fifth fastest time record for the distance. Also this year he has had victories in Miami, New Jersey and Idaho, all at either 5,000 or 10,000 meters.
Despite his relative obscurity, Beardsley was considered a threat and had done warm weather training in Atlanta for the marathon.
He had run a 2:09.37 in Duluth, Minn., and two weeks ago had won a 10,000-meter race in Atlanta. Beardsley took the lead at the bottom of Heartbreak Hill, the last of four hills in Newton, and held it until Salazar made his move.
Rodgers, shooting to become the second-winningest marathoner in Boston history with five titles, was the leader halfway through the race at Wellesley Square, but began to wilt three miles later in Newton-Lower Falls, just before the turn onto Commonwealth Avenue and the hills of Newton.
He fell further behind on the hills where he usually trains and finished in 2:12.13. Rodgers had run five previous marathons this year.
Sweden's K.E. Stahl was in fifth place, Dennis Rinde of California in sixth, Terry Baker of Oregon in seventh, Rick Callison of Ohio in eighth and Robert Wallace of Nevada in ninth.
Salazar, the world record holder running in his first Boston, took the lead just outside Kenmore Square and simply out ran the white-capped Beardsley to the finish line, easily smashing the Boston record of 2:09.26, set last year by Japan's Toshihiko Seko.
It was Salazar's third marathon triumph in as many entries, having earlier won the new York Marathon in 1980-81.
It was a two-man duel over the final eight miles of the race, with Beardsley being the pace-setter and Salazar staying his shoulder.
Four-time champion Bill Rodgers, among the leaders over the first 14 miles faltered badly on the hills where he normally excells and placed fourth behind John Lodwick of Dallas.
Beardsley, considered a top threat in view a recent marathon victory in his native Minnesota, made a final attempt to catch Salazar as the two turned onto Ring Road for the 200-yard sprint to the finish, but Salazar, an accomplished track star as well, thwarted Beardsley and won comfortably to receive the traditional laurel wreath.
Rodgers appeared to be affected by the heat and struggled badly over the final eight miles.
Salazar and Beardsley matched the closest finish in Boston history when Rodgers edge Jeff Wells by two seconds in 1978.
Salazar, 23, grew up in nearby Wayland but until Monday had never run the Boston course from start to finish.
Only nine days ago he had run in an invitational race in Eugene, Ore., where he attended college and finished second while recording the fifth fastest time record for the distance.
Also this year he has had victories in Miami, New Jersey and Idaho, all at either 5,000 or 10,000 meters.
Beardsley was considered a threat and had done warm weather training in Atlanta for the marathon.
He had run a 2:09.37 in Duluth, Minn., and two weeks ago had won a 10,000-meter race in Atlanta. Beardsely took the lead at the bottom of Heartbreak Hill, the last of four hills in Newton and held it until Salazar made his move.
Rodgers, shooting to become the second winningest marathoner in Boston history with five titles, was the leader halfway through the race at Wellesley Square, but began to wilt three miles later in Newton-Lower Falls, just before the turn onto Commonwealth Avenue and the hills of Newton.
He fell further behind on the hills where he usually trains and finished in 2:12.13. Rodgers had run five previous marathons this year.
Charlotte Teske of West Germany was the surprise women's winner.
Sweden's K.E. Stahl was in fifth place, Dennis Rinde of Califonia in sixth, Terry Baker of Oregon in seventh, Rick Callison of Ohio in eighth, Robert Wallace of Nevada in ninth.
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At Newton Lower Falls checkpoint, 17.7 miles into the race -- the beginning of the series of hills collectively known to runners as 'Heartbreak Hill' -- the leaders' pack was winnowed to Beardsley, Rodgers, Salazar and Mendoza. Women's leaders further back continued to be Waitz, West Germany's Charlotte Testke and Canada's Jacqueline Gareau.
As the men leaders headed up 'Heartbreak Hill,' crossing the Boston finish line in Boston to win the wheelchair category was Jim Knaub of California.
Beardsley, with Salazar on his heels, had pulled away from the leaders cresting Newton's 'Heartbreak Hill' 21 miles into the race and headed downhill to the finish five miles away. Beardsley, 26, was last year's 3rd place finisher.
Beardsley, a native of Minnesota, stayed a step ahead of Salazar into the flat final stretch through Brookline headed into the final two miles of the race. Rodgers was a distant third.
