John J. Kelley

Milestones in the life of John J. Kelley

  • 1930 December 24 – Born in Norwich, CT
  • 1950 Top Schoolboy Miler
  • 1951 Manchester Road Race winner; set course record
  • 1952 Boston University, set school mile record
  • 1953 Married to Jacinta C. Braga
  • 1956-63 National Marathon Championship, Winner
  • 1957 Boston Marathon Winner
  • 1958 First daughter (Julia) born
  • 1959 Pan American Games Marathon Champion
  • 1960 Competed in Rome Olympics Marathon
  • 1961 Mt. Washington Road Race Winner; set course record
  • 1961 Second daughter (Kathleen) born
  • 1964 Third daughter (Eileen) born
  • 1974 Fitch Cross Country Coach State Championship
  • 2002 Inducted into National Distance Runners Hall of Fame
  • 2007 Mystic Irish Parade Grand Marshal
  • 2011 August 21 – Died in North Stonington, CT

 

Trivia

  • Only runner to ever win both Mt. Washington and the Boston Marathon
  • Only BAA runner to win Boston Marathon
  • National marathon champion; eight consecutive years.

 

After all Kell’s athletic accomplishments, he never received prize or endorsement money.

The Statue

A larger-than-life statue of John Kelley has been unveiled and overlooks downtown Mystic from the parklet on Baptist Hill, near Mystic Pizza.  The statue was skillfully crafted and installed for us by Hanlon Sculpture Studio.

 

Watch the dedication ceremony here.

 

This could not have been accomplished if it weren’t for the generosity and dedication of those in the community, including:

  • Amby Burfoot and Christina Negron
  • Bill and Charles Rodgers
  • Bill, Natalie, and Jeff Billing
  • Boston Athletic Association
  • Cindy and Phil Garland
  • Daniella Duke and Jeff Brown
  • Edward Fernandez
  • Elizabeth, George, Alex, and Julia Adrian
  • Glenn and Rick Davies
  • Hanlon Sculpture Studio
  • Hartford Marathon Foundation
  • Jack Fultz and Jan Ross
  • James Suarez
  • Jane Lassen Bobruff and Neal Bobruff
  • John Valentine
  • Julia Chase-Brand and George Brand
  • Lisa Brownell and Steve Fagin
  • Manchester Road Race
  • Mary and Roger Camire
  • Morgan and Mary Martin
  • Mystic Irish Parade Foundation
  • Mystic Pizza
  • Pfizer, Inc.
  • Scrapbook Cove
  • St. Edmund’s Retreat
  • Stephen Sergeant
  • Steve Lamb
  • Steven and Elizabeth deCastro
  • Susan Hurley and Charity Teams
  • Ted Charles Lovendosky
  • Todd and Patti Brown
  • Westerly Track and Athletic Club

The Scholarship

We have decided that awarding annual scholarships is the best way to continue keeping Johnny Kelley’s memory alive.

Please donate to support the continuation of these scholarships for years to come!

Scholarship details:

• Recipients must be a member of the Fitch High School Cross Country and/or Track Teams.
• Two will be awarded each year in the amount of $1,500 each. One award goes to a male, and the other to a female.
• Awards are announced at Fitch’s annual award banquet.

Award winners are selected by Fitch coaches, the board of the Kelley Fund and Kelley’s family.  In keeping with John’s best qualities, we will be looking for those who display kindness and sportsmanship, not necessarily for the fastest.

Scholarship Winners:

2024

Ryan Dunning

Kaiden Chandler

Hannah Warner

2023

Saffron Pentell

Charles Tarbox

2022

Aliyah Benros

Silvia Chen

Thomas Forde

Carson Riley

2021

Simon Chidley

Kathryn Barnes

2020

David “Cole” Aristi

Emma Smith

2019

Julia Adrian

Dan Gaiewski

2018

Tom Readett

Mitchell Shapiro-Albert

* There were no female Senior distance runners in 2018.

2017

Kailey Sullivan

Molly Reinhold

Joel Lee

2016

Alicia Moroyoqui

Owen Stanfield

The Book of Kel

The Book of Kel

John J. Kelley – Legendary Runner and Friend to All

In this wide-ranging collection of essays and reminiscences, those who knew Kelley best reflect on how he changed their lives. Julia Chase, the country’s first woman road racer, and Amby Burfoot, a Boston winner 11 years after Kelley, explain what they learned from Kelley. His daughters recall what it was like to live in a running-centric household in the 1960s. And the man behind the Kelley statue explains how it came to reside next to Mystic Pizza.

Best of all, the book contains more than 50 pages of articles written by Kelley himself, including excerpts from his never-before-seen memoir. Plus: many intimate photos of Kelley with the people, places, and animals he loved best.

Get it on Amazon

The Fund

The John Kelley Memorial Fund is recognized as a charitable and tax-exempt organization by the IRS. Initial donations were applied to a erect a memorial for John J. Kelley in Mystic, CT, and all excess funds are being put toward an annual scholarship award in John’s name.

 

Committee Members

Jim Roy, Chairman
Spyros Barres, Treasurer
Bill Billing, Secretary
Neal Bobruff, Legal Adviser
Amby Burfoot, Member at Large
Brian Carroll, Member at Large
Dr. Julia Chase-Brand, Fundraising
Steve Fagin, Site and Media
Maggie Jones, Non-profit Adviser
Eileen Kelley, Family Representative
Scott Edwards, Family Representative
Stan Mickus, Public Relations

Contact & Donate

Reach out if you have any questions, and please do consider donating! 

Donations are accepted via PayPal and physical checks mailed to our address listed here. 

Address

John Kelley Memorial Fund
℅ Jim Roy
152 Water Street
Stonington, CT 06378

Phone Jim directly

(860) 941-7683