DeMar, Clarence H.
Marathon
b. June 7, 1888, Madeira, OH
d. June 11, 1958
He was called "Mr. DeMarathon." DeMar ran in the Boston Marathon twenty-five times and finished all of them. He won seven times, finished second four times, and was third twice. He might have won even more, but he took a five-year break from running because a doctor told him he had a heart problem. The problem was actually that medical science at the time didn't recognize that well-conditioned athletes often have very low heart rates.
A graduate of the University of Vermont, DeMar entered the Boston Marathon for the first time in 1910, finishing second. He won in 1911, setting a course record. Then came his layoff. He returned and won three straight, from 1922 through 1924, two straight in 1927 and 1928, and he won once more in 1930. At forty-one, he is still the oldest winner in Boston Marathon history.
DeMar also won the AAU marathon from 1926 through 1928. He finished third in the 1924 Olympic marathon.