Lawrence Brignolia

Lawrence Brignolia
Brignolia circa 1900
Born(1876-04-15)15 April 1876
Died13 February 1958(1958-02-13) (aged 81)
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
EducationSt. Mary's of the Annunciation, Cambridge, Massachusetts
OccupationBlacksmith
Known forMarathon running
Spouses
  • Nellie Eagan
  • Annie Lynch (née Willard)
Children2
HonorsNational Italian American Sports Hall of Fame (2000)

Lawrence Joseph Brignolia, sometimes Brignoli, (15 April 1876 – 13 February 1958) was an American long-distance runner and sculler of Italian descent. He won the third running of the Boston Marathon, in 1899. A 161-pound (73 kg) blacksmith, he remains the heaviest person ever to claim victory in the event. He was the only runner to finish each of the first three Boston Marathons, and one of two runners (the other being Dick Grant) who participated in each of the first four.