Kelley, John J.
Track and Field
b. Dec. 24, 1930, Norwich, CT
Called "Young John" by Boston sportswriters to distinguish him from John A. Kelley, another marathoner who is not related to him, Kelley attended Boston University and won the IC4A cross-country championship in 1953.
After graduating in 1954, he joined the Boston Athletic Association, which conducts the Boston Marathon. Kelley won the AAU marathon title from 1956 through 1963. His record time of 2:20:13.6 in 1960 stood until 1974. Kelley also won the AAU 15-kilometer run in 1957 and 1962, the 20-kilometer run from 1956 through 1960, the 25-kilometer from 1956 through 1959, and the 30-kilometer in 1959.
He captured the Boston Marathon in 1957 after finishing second the previous year. In 1959, he became the first American runner to win a gold medal in the Pan-American Games marathon.