Monday April 19, 2011 – By STEVE RUMAN, Tribune Chronicle correspondent

Last April, Jane Timmins was forced to watch Boston Marathon from the comfort of her living room. At the time, Timmins' leg was in a cast, the result of a surgery stemming from an ACL injury.

On Monday, others watched Timmins as she raced through the streets of Boston.

Timmins was among approximately 20 area runners who participated in the 115th Boston Marathon.

In all, nearly 27,000 runners took part in the 26.2-mile race.

"Words can't describe what an awesome, incredible feeling it was to run such an elite course," Timmins said following the race. "Everything about the day lived up to the hype. It was surreal to be out there running. The whole time, I'm thinking to myself, 'this is Boston.' "

A 1996 graduate of John F. Kennedy High, Timmins didn't begin distance running until the summer of 2008. Last November, she qualified for the Boston Marathon when she finished the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon in a time of 3 hours, 39 minutes, 53 seconds.

Timmins finished Monday's course in a time of 3:49:27.

"All things considered, I was very pleased with my time," Timmins said. "I went into the race wanting to do my best, but I also wanted to take it all in. I wanted to enjoy a moment that will live with me forever."

Timmins ran with a disposable camera at her side, stopping to take pictures throughout the race. She was cheered on by her father and sister, who made a surprise visit from Virginia. She was also joined by her mom, who "accompanied" her during the final stretch of the race.

"My mom so wanted to be here, but couldn't make it," Timmins said. "With half a mile to go, I pulled out my cell phone, put her on speakerphone, and she was with me as I crossed the finish line."

Like Timmins, Terry McCluskey didn't begin running marathons until after his 30th birthday. On Monday, the Vienna resident participated in his 77th marathon, including his 14th in Boston.

McCluskey finished in a time of 2:48:38. The 62-year-old won his age division (60-64) for a second straight year. He finished the course three minutes faster than he did a year ago.

"Running in Boston never gets old. It's almost an out-of-body experience," McCluskey said. "(Monday's) run was phenomenal. The weather was ideal. Fans were lined non-stop for all 26 miles of the race. When you run this marathon, you are treated like a celebrity. It's like you've reached rock star status to the people of Boston."

McCluskey noted that he began running at the age of 33 because he "didn't feel healthy and needed to get into shape." Three years later, the casual jogger found himself running his first marathon.

Today, McCluskey shows no signs of slowing down.

"Running is my passion. I retired on Jan. 1, and now that I have more free time I'm actually adding mileage to my daily running routine," McCluskey said.

Sarah Flament of Poland not only recorded a personal best on Monday, but her time qualified her for the Olympic Trials. Flament, 35, finished with a time of 2:43:37. She was the 12th American female to cross the finish line, and the 26th female overall.

Flament was running her second Boston Marathon, and fourth overall.

"Boston is a magical experience," Flament said. "There is nothing that compares to it. The adrenaline alone gives you an added boost and probably takes a few minutes off your time."

Flament was a two-time All American runner at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. She then took a 10-year hiatus from the sport to raise a family before returning to competitive running three years ago. An injury forced her to sit out the 2010 running season.

"This being the first race since my return, I was thrilled with the results," Flament said. "I felt like I had a 2:42 in me, but I didn't want to push things."

Mitchell Thornton of McDonald made his first run at Boston a memorable one. He ran a 2:47:55, finishing 470th overall in what was just his second marathon run.

"I think I ran with a smile on my face through just about the entire course," Thornton said. "It's hard to explain the excitement. The fans were intense. I was even giving high-fives during the final few miles."

Thornton cut 12 minutes off of his initial marathon run, which took place in Chicago last October. At 20 years of age, the sky appears to be the limit for the 2009 McDonald High School graduate.

"I'm not setting any specific goals. Right now, I just want to keep knocking time off of my personal bests," Thornton said. "I hope I still have a lot of marathons left in me."

Still, Thornton said that nothing will compare to the memories made Monday during his first trip to Boston.

"As marathons go, it's the ultimate," Thornton said. "No matter how many races I run in my life, it will be tough to match the excitement of running my first-ever Boston Marathon."

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