History will be made on Monday at the 107th running of the Boston Marathon, a first-ever with an Ashtabula connection.

Never in the race's long history have three brothers qualified and run together at Boston. Never, that is, until this year, when Paul, Stephen and Jim Gidus will go north to become the first fraternal trio to compete in the Boston Marathon.

The Gidus brothers have lived in central Florida since the mid '80's, but they spent much of their youth in Ashtabula. Paul is a 1978 Ashtabula graduate, Stephen a 1980 graduate and Jim a 1981 graduate. All three ran cross country for the Panthers and went on to run at Kent State-Ashtabula.

"The years we were in Ashtabula were the very formative years of our lives," Stephen said in a telephone interview from his home in the Orlando area. "Those were the years when I was in grade school, junior high and high school." There are some really great memories of those years. I was in Ashtabula for about 10 years, but it was a big part of my life."

After high school and college, the sons of Marie and Tim Gidus continued running. For Paul and Stephen it was more recreational running, and they ran in a 5K here and a 10K there. But Jim did run in the 1984 Cleveland Revco Marathon, finishing in 2:46, and in 1989 he completed a sprint marathon in 56 minutes.

"When I got done, I felt I had completed something very special," Jim said of the Revco. "I thought it had to be the most exciting, excruciating event in sports."

The Gidus brothers' quest for Boston actually began in 2001, when Stephen ran in his first marathon.

"I watched Jim when he ran in the Disney Marathon," Paul said. "And I thought it was something I'd like to do."

But there were other reasons why Paul started running again on a more regular schedule.

"I had started to put on a little weight," Paul said. "I was about 20 pounds overweight, and I started to run more to stay in shape. I got started and set some goals and got more and more into it."

It was Stephen, however, who first saw the possibility of the brothers running together at Boston. He was also the one who researched the matter and discovered three brothers had never run together in the nation's oldest marathon.

Paul was excited by the idea. Jim wasn't.

"My brothers kept trying to get me to go in with them," Jim said. "They said we could set a world's record. But I knew the commitment it would take. You have to train two hours a day, watch your diet, and there are other variables to consider."

But his brothers were not easily dissuaded.

"Finally, they got me to say 'yes.' My brother Stephen usually gets what he wants," Jim said.

Stephen also did a lot of leg work involved in getting New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc. to sponsor the brothers.

The next step was for each of the Gidus brothers to qualify for Boston.

"The big thing is staying healthy," Jim said. "I'm sure this could have been done before, but it's hard to avoid injury."

Paul and Stephen each needed a time of 3:20 or less in order to qualify, and Jim a 3:15.

In April 2002, running in his first marathon, Paul came up short in Cleveland, finishing in 3:32. The three brothers all ran in the Columbus Marathon in October. Stephen clocked a 3:13, his personal best, to qualify, and Jim qualified easily with a time of 2:56.

Hampered by a hamstring injury, Paul ran a 3:33 in Columbus. But undeterred, Paul tried again and succeeded in January, clocking a 3:18 in the Houston Marathon.

Gearing up

The brothers have taken different approaches to training. Paul and Stephen have been working out with Track Shack Marathon Fest, a training group in Orlando.

"We have a coach who determines our workouts and schedules practice runs for us," Stephen said.

"They train Tuesday through Sunday, with Tuesdays reserved for speed work and Saturdays for long runs. Paul said he is putting in 45 to 55 miles a week.

Jim, however, has his own views on training for the race.

"I like to do things on my own," Jim said. "When I ran in my first marathon, I couldn't even put my shirt on after it was over. I had to get help from my dad. But I know more now."

"I believe you need to train like you're running a race. A lot of people don't do that. I'm looking to maintain a 6:30-6:45 pace. When I train, I want to run fast."

"And my wife gets me water when I'm training. She'll go out to the 3-mile mark and give me water and then move on to the next spot. That allows me to keep running. When you've got a group, you usually stop for water. With my wife, it's like having a coach."

Jim Gidus' chief concern is preparing himself for the latter stages of the race, and he feels his regimen will help.

"The toughest part of the marathon is probably the last six miles," Jim said. "You've run 20 miles and mentally you know you're almost there, but when you visualize it, you still have a 10K left. You start thinking, 'Wow! I still have a whole race left.' That's where most of the guys fail. In Stephen's first marathon, when he was trying to qualify for Boston, he was running 7:20, 7:30 miles, then at the end, he was running 9:10. People fall apart at the end, and a lot of it is mental and a lack of preparation."

The goal for race day is the same for all three brothers.

"I'd like for all of us to cross the finish together," Stephen said.

That might be easier for Paul and Stephen, who run at about the same pace, than it will be for Jim.

"It's going to be tough trying to stay with our group," he said. "I'm not used to running at that pace. They run about a 3:15 marathon, and I run about a 2:55. The difference is about a minute a mile. I'll have to hold back and try to save it all for the last part of the race."

Making their way

The Gidus brothers make their livings in construction. Paul and Stephen own PSG Construction, which specializes in residential remodeling and renovation. Jim owns Extreme Care, a demolition maintenance company.

"My father worked construction," Jim said. "He hurt his back, but he didn't go after disability or anything. He ended up driving a truck for Post Lumber. He taught us so much. He remodeled our whole house. He did every room in the house, and we learned so much from him. He's been a big influence."

Paul and his wife, Tammy, have three children: Natalie 10, Lydia 7 and Luke 3. Jim and Carol Gidus have a son, Christian, 6, and a daughter, Jessica, 4.

Stephen is a bachelor, which could cause its own problems at Boston.

"The course goes by Wellesley College, a women's school," Stephen said. "Every year, all the girls line up along the road to cheer the runners on. I guess that could be a distraction for me."

---

Gidus Brothers Note: Prior to running the Boston Marathon, the Gidus Brothers carried out research that led them to believe three brothers had never qualified for and completed the Boston Marathon together. However, in a letter to the editor of the Orlando Sentinel published several weeks after the marathon, it was pointed out that four brothers, one of whom resides in Central Florida, completed the Boston Marathon in 2000.

Back to Boston Marathon Home Page