movie review

footage provided by www.youtube.com This was the forerunner of the rest, the first of Boston’s inner- city road races (with a brief visit to Cambridge) spawned by the mid ’70s boom. It’s The Freedom Trail, an 8-mile run over a course that meanders past Charlestown’s Bunker Hill Monument, the Back Bay’s Eliot Lounge, the State House, the Old North Church, to the finish line at Waterfront Park. In a history that began on Oct. 2, 1977, when Bill Rodgers beat Jerome Drayton, it’s endured well under the organization of the Greater Boston TC and a montage of financial backers. With an honor roll of winners including Rodgers, Randy Thomas, Alberto Salazar, Greg Meyer, Rod Dixon, Kim Merritt, Joan Benoit, Dia Elliman, Lorraine Moeller and Ann Audain, it’s already a part of road-racing lore. The race went with prize money in 1981, offering $28000 as a part of the Association of Road Racing circuit, which was created out of dissatisfaction with the archaic rules of amateurism in the sport. In its 6th edition yesterday morning – the first of a three-year arrangement with Saucony – there was a total purse of $5500 and a field of 3500. Joining the impressive list of past winners on a pleasantly cool morning were irrepressible George Malley, whose comeback from the uncertainties of a persistent foot problem was culminated by an American record (1:01:42) half marathon [...] two weeks ago in Philadelphia, and Boston College woman’s cross- country coach Judi St. Hillaire, who beat …