Special to the Star-Bulletin
The Hawaii Boston Marathon contingent poses in front
of the 50th state flag just before start of 100th Boston Marathon.
Peter Thalman is kneeling in front with haku lei on his head.

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Bostonian spreads aloha
at marathon

Only Hawaii runners are invited
to his historic mansion

By Pat Bigold
Star-Bulletin

BOSTON -- Drive up Main Street in Hopkinton, and you can't help noticing the Greek Revival-style white mansion that stands across from Bettergoods sandwich shop.

Above the ornate portal to the structure built in 1757, between two 20-foot tall Grecian columns, is a 5-foot-wide by 8-foot-long flag that looks very out-of-place in such a setting. Rub your eyes to get a better study on the eight red-white-and-blue horizontal bars and Union Jack in the upper left corner, and you suddenly realize that it's the Hawaiian flag flapping in the chilly Massachusetts spring air.

Last year, Holliston resident Peter Thalman, owner of the electric power engineering firm that occupies the mansion, played enthusiastic host to 32 cold and nervous Hawaii runners for several hours before the start of the historic 100th Boston Marathon. It was the first time he'd done it but Thalman said he plans to continue the practice and the big flag will stay where it is -- about 100 feet from the street that has been the starting site of the Boston Marathon since 1924.

"Only Hawaii people are specifically invited inside on marathon morning," said Thalman, who has a very personal reason for his desire to care for runners from the 50th state. "I never told anyone from Hawaii the real reason," said Thalman, drawing a deep breath. "My wife (Jane) died about three years ago. We used to love to take trips to Hawaii. In fact, the last trip we took together was to Hawaii. We went there with our four kids."

Two of his daughters are students at Boston College. A boy and a girl are still in high school. In 1996, he saw a story about Honolulu's "Faerber's Flyers" running club, which was sending some members to run in the 100th Boston.

"Nancy Goglia was the spokesperson for the group and I got her address off the Internet," Thalman said. "I sent her a card and asked her to speak to her club members and that's how the whole thing got going here."

Thalman and his co-workers supply bagels, oranges, water, juice and Power Bars to the Hawaii group, which is expected to number 11 this year. They'll be invited to relax in the warm executive offices of the antique mansion.

Last year's marathon relaxed entry standards and more than doubled its normal size for the centennial, but the field will be back to normal this time with about 11,500 runners enetered.

Veteran masters runner Chick Alsop has an injury and said the Boston Athletic Association has agreed to let him carry over his qualification to 1998. Goglia has left Hawaii and is adjusting to a new job in California and won't be here, either. Dr. John Cogan, a 50-year-old Honolulu cardiologist, will be back. Newcomers to the race include 45-year-old Roundtop Drive resident Vi Jones-Medusky, who's on a high rolling into the race she's dreamed about for three years.

Jones-Medusky said she gained her inspiration to run the Boston Marathon in the summer of 1994 when she jogged on Commonwealth Avenue in Newton past the "Young at Heart" statue of of ancient Boston Marathon champion John A. Kelley.

"I thought, heck, this guy has competed in so many Bostons, I want to do it for my 45th birthday," said Jones-Medusky.

Kelley ran in 61 Boston Marathons, finishing 58 of them. He still attends the race.

Greg Matson, a 32-year-old Aloha Airlines pilot, is also making his first run in Boston.

Matson said he's dedicating the race to his father who was just operated on for a defective heart valve.

"I promised him," said Matson, "but my first goal now is to finish the race. I want to go under three hours."

Matson said he has learned a lot about endurance and course survival since he collapsed in a May 1996 triathlon in Hawaii and woke up in an ambulance with IV tubes attached to his body.

A lot of Hawaii runners who earn the qualifying time for Boston are unable to pay their way here. But Elpidio Cadavona, a 40-year-old mail carrier stationed, said his Realtor, Leo Tanaka, who owns Realty Factors, decided to sponsor him and picked up the cost of his airfare.

"I'm nervous and excited," said Cadavona. Other Hawaii entries are 36-year-old Grant Marcus, 43-year-old Manuel Dizon, 35-year-old Mel White, and 59-year-old David Cheever of Honolulu, and 50-year-old Carl Simons, 48-year-old Tim Cotter and 38-year-old Kathy Kunkle of Kailua-Kona.

Temperatures are expected to rise into the high 50s on Marathon Monday.

Updates of the race can be found at http/www.bostonmarathon.org on the internet.

Both ESPN and ESPN2 will televise the marathon which will be seen also in more than 60 foreign countries.