THE Margin takes its hat off to Denis O'Brien, the boss of Esat Telecom, who completed the Boston marathon this week.

Boston is one of the classic marathons, with every landmark along the route from Hopkinton to Boston carrying a tale of great races past, including a famous win by Irishman Niall Cusack in the early 1970s.

This year's race - the 100th - attracted huge interest from runners the world over. Denis had reason to be in the city, apart from tackling the Heartbreak Hills which have ended many a Boston dream. First Boston bank is heavily involved in his fund raising in the United States for the GSM licence.