Four years ago, Howie Vickberg said he was in the best shape he had ever been in, and found that his commitment to running and training, even in the bleakest of weather, kept his legs going.

Now those legs are taking him to the Boston Marathon, arguably the most famous of marathons in the world, on April 16, 2012. Vickberg qualified for the race by running the May 1 Vancouver Marathon in a time of 4:30, six minutes faster than the required qualifying time for his 70-74 age group.

Now Vickberg faces a marathon of a different sort simply to register for the Boston, as the registration rules have just been changed.

Until this year, any runner who had previously finished a 26.2 mile race with a pre-determined qualifying time was eligible for the Boston. But the Boston race keeps growing more popular, and the most recent one had almost 27,000 runners who took just eight hours to fill the online registration form. Many qualified racers were literally left out of the running.

In September, registration will be divided into age groups, with those who have the best qualifying time in each category signing on first.

Vickberg鈥檚 Vancouver Marathon time was six minutes faster than the qualification requirement, placing him in the third round of registration for his age group.

鈥淭he registration process can be a marathon in itself,鈥� Vickberg said, noting the huge demand to be included.

鈥淭his is the granddaddy of them all,鈥� he said.

Confident that he will make it, Vickberg is still savoring the success of the Vancouver Marathon.

鈥淚鈥檓 excited,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t was such a relief, a good feeling.鈥�

The companionship of a fellow runner who, like Vickberg, trains out of Peninsula Runners in Walnut Grove, was the wind beneath his wings.

鈥淗e ran with me for the last eight miles. It was a huge help.鈥�

Vickberg, who until his retirement was a 91原创 School District bus driver for special needs children, ran his first half marathon at the age of 60, encouraged by his wife, Linda, whom he calls 鈥渁 gifted distance runner.鈥�

Vickberg calls the 13.1 mile half marathon 鈥渕ore civilized,鈥� but both the full and half marathon are a grinding test of nerves and muscle, as both distances are mentally and physically demanding.

When he enrolled in the training program at Peninsula Runners in Walnut Grove, he took on his solitary runs a new companion 鈥� a mini disc player on which he records hours of music to inspire him 鈥� the Doobie Brothers, Peter Gabriel, Steve Winwood, Steely Dan, Bonnie Raitt.

But nothing beats having someone to run with, he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the difference between night and day.鈥�