To the elite racing world, the 105th Boston Marathon signified the end of the Kenyan men’s domination of the field, with Korean Bong Ju Lee’s 2:09:43 finish and the beginning of the Keynan women’s reign with Catherine Ndereba’s 2:23:53 time.

Though Harvard’s marathon runners did not set records, finishing the race signified the completion of personal goals and provided unforgettable experiences.

The struggle of 26.2 notoriously hilly miles took the toll on veteran runner Robert K. Silverman ‘02, who qualifed for the Boston Marathon after running a 2:54 time in the Bay State Marathon last fall.

Silverman, a Crimson executive, collapsed just before the end of the race, but managed to finish the course in exactly 3 hours. He is now recovering after being hospitalized for dehydration after the race.

A few dozen Harvard runners also completed the feat, with most of them joining the 6,000 so-called bandit runners who failed to officially qualify for the event but who run the entire course anyway.

Kirkland House’s Senior Tutor Timothy C. Harte ’90, however, shared his marathon experience with the top runners in the world.

Harte, listed as an “elite runner” in the Boston Globe after his 38th place finish in 1999, rode a transport bus with first-tier runners to the starting line.

“I felt a little bit like an impostor,” Harte said. “I’m not in the greatest shape, but it was a lot of fun.” He finished in 2:35, a few minutes slower than his personal best of 2:27.