For One Alum, 2016 Boston Marathon is a Sort of Homecoming

In 1966, Dave Biersmith,’ 58, entered the Boston Marathon for the first time, one of only 425 official entrants in one of the oldest and most revered running events in the United States.

This year, he went back — one of approximately 30,000 contestants in Monday’s contest — for the 11th time, running 50 years after his first time.

“I’ve run in 160 marathons,” and finished over half of them, he said. “Back in the day, I was pretty good.”

He has continued running into his 70s, even after two different heart surgeries — one of which left him clinically dead for approximately 20 minutes. However, Biersmith said the 1966 Boston Marathon remains special to him. In addition to being his first marathon, he said the 1966 marathon is also notable for Bobbi Gibb, who broke the gender barrier by becoming the first woman to complete the entire race.

Gibb entered the marathon dressed in male running shoes and her brother’s Bermuda shorts to disguise herself because of the belief  at the time that women were not suited for long distance running — the Amateur Athletic Union limited women’s races to 1.5 miles, and Olympic track events for females were limited to 800 meters.

But not only was Gibb breaking barriers, Biersmith said — she was also doing it at a respectably quick clip.

“She was running about the same pace I was running back then,” he said.

Though he wouldn’t realize it until much later, Biersmith said he even found himself running next to Gibb for a portion of the race.

“I knew nothing about women not being allowed or her being in it,” he said, smiling. “I was just trying to stay alive.”

Years after the 1966 marathon, he would reconnect with Gibb at a running store in Boston by chance, giving the two the opportunity to eventually make plans to celebrate half a century since Gibb’s historic run by taking part in the 2016 marathon together. Gibb was not one of the entrants — she was instead named grand marshal for the marathon — but Biersmith said he still wanted to mark the anniversary by once again putting on his running shoes.

“I committed to doing it,” he said. “Nothing is going to stop me.”