Monday, September 03, 2012

Paul Ryan, John Kerry, and running marathons

Author running the
2004 Boston Marathon
Last week while being interviewed on Hugh Hewitt's radio show, Paul Ryan told the host that he ran a sub-3 hour marathon. Well, he didn't. Ryan's only completed marathon was Grandma's Marathon in Duluth in 1990. But the GOP vice presidential nominee finished with a time of just over 4 hours. That's still not a bad time--and while I've never participated in Grandma's, several friends of mine have and they all say it's a challenging course. It's usually run on Father's Day weekend and even in northern Minnesota it can get hot that time of year. The course is a point-to-point one along the shore of Lake Superior--if the wind is blowing the wrong way, it can be a grueling day for runners.

But still--four hours is not sub three. Not even close.
Lake Superior

Comparisons to Ryan's marathon claim are being made with John Kerry's repeated boast that he ran the Boston Marathon. There is no proof that he ever even entered that race--but Kerry's presidential campaign office issued a statement shortly before Election Day in 2004 that Lurch ran the granddaddy of all marathons as a 'bandit,' an unregistered runner. I doubt Kerry even did that--but since he twice "married up" for money, it does fit a pattern of his of not spending his own cash.

Kerry, unlike Ryan, has a history of creating autobiographical embellishments--or if you prefer, lies. Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, while incorrect on some items, exposed many of Kerry's Vietnam War exaggerations. Ketchup Boy did not spend "Christmas in Cambodia" in 1968--even though that 'event' was "seared in his memory." In a 1971 anti-war protest, Kerry said he threw his service medals away--but it turned out those were medals belonging to a another veteran.

Author (left) at the Boston Marathon athlete's village
Perhaps Ryan was unintentionally mis-stating his finishing time on Hewitt's show. When you conduct a dozen interviews every day in several cities--it happens. On the other hand, numbers are supposed to be Ryan's strongest subject.

But Ryan never fired the starting gun at Grandma's boasting of his finishing time, while John Kerry, in 2002, did fire the starting pistol at the Boston Marathon--where he reminded the crowd that he ran the fabled race. "I love the marathon," Kerry said that day. "I admire everyone. To run, it takes a lot of spirit and a lot of guts."

Finally, you can read about not only Kerry bragging about "first" Boston Marathon, you can learn how he used his connections to allow an otherwise unqualified political supporter gain entry into the 2003 race. The grateful recipient, an Iowa state senator, praised "Massachusetts-style politics" for his lucky break.

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9 comments:

Tania said...

I was waiting for you to write a post on the Ryan marathon time. Well done, John.

Bandit-ing the Boston Marathon is not good. Earn it or cheer on the sidelines.

Anonymous said...

You're right, a 4:00 marathon is perfectly respectable. Average, but respectable. So, that begs the question, why did Ryan lie about it? My guess is that he's vain and arrogant and doesn't like being seen as average. So, he claimed not only to have run a time that is well above average, but also claimed to have run more than one. If you read his quote, he said that he had run "marathons." So, by your own standards, he's just as bad as Kerry, assuming Kerry wasn't a bandit in a Boston Marathon, which you can't really prove. (BTW, still talking about the Swift Boat Veterans? That's sad. Even former members admit that they lied about Kerry's record.)

Anonymous said...


A marathon time is an objective measurable fact: the course is measured, and your performance is timed. A sub-three hour time? He didn't run that. Then he went on to say "yeah, I was pretty fast in my youth." What a tool.

And to defend this by saying "Kerry did it too" is silly. Kerry wasn't elected because people called him on his BS.

Anonymous said...

Leave http://www.liveshot.cc alone!

Marathon Pundit said...

"But still--four hours is not sub three. Not even close." Does it sound like I'm defending Ryan? Also, read the headline, Paul Ryan, John Kerry, and running marathons.

Oh...thanks Tania!

Anonymous said...

Yes, it does sound like you're defending Ryan with a "Kerry did it too, and much worse" defense.

As a 3:16 marathoner, I was very unhappy with Kerry's BS with the Boston Marathon and other shit. Although our political leanings are completely opposite, I understand how you feel. Your man isn't who you want him to be. He isn't even who he says he is.

Marathon Pundit said...

Ryan's record is an open book.

I wish he hadn't said what he did about his Grandma's Marathon time--and that is coming from a 2:57 marathoner (1995 Lake County, if you care to look it up.)

As for "my man," I've met Ryan--twice--and he comes across the same in person as he does on TV. He's quite genuine and isn't hiding his postions as Obama still does. I'm comfortable with him as VP and with Romney as president.

I can't imagine either man telling the leader of an enemy state, Russia, that they would have more "flexibility" in a second term.

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on your sub-three hour time. That is a very impressive accomplishment, and something I admire. (And also something that I'll never be able to accomplish.) Marathon times are earned and are something that can never be taken away. It's too bad Ryan doesn't respect them as much as we do. It makes you wonder what else he doesn't respect.

Anonymous said...

That settles it. I'm not voting for the Kerry rascal for president.