Boston Marathon
21 April 2025 Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States 42km Road runningBoston Marathon: A Demanding and Symbolic Race
The Boston Marathon is etched in history as the younger sibling of the very first marathon, the Athens Marathon. Following the creation of the initial Greek edition in 1896, Americans were quick to replicate the idea and bring it to the United States. Thus, the Boston Marathon came into being on April 19, 1897, exactly one year after the legendary 42 km of Athens. Perhaps inspired by Plutarch’s legend, the Americans were determined to push their runners to the finish line. Beyond its symbolism, the Boston Marathon is regarded as one of the most challenging marathons in the world. This is why it is part of the prestigious Abbott World Marathon Majors!
Participating is no small feat. To qualify for the Boston Marathon, runners must prove themselves through prior races by achieving a qualifying time based on their category. Even after passing this initial hurdle, participants need to be patient. Though the race is in Boston, the start line is set several kilometers away. Runners line up to board buses to the starting point. Once there, they endure more waiting, because transporting 30,000 participants from point A to point B is quite the undertaking.
Once the starting gun fires, the challenges begin! The Boston Marathon route isn’t flat but hilly. The dreaded “wall” at 30 km, a common nemesis for marathoners, is a literal barrier in Boston. At the 30th km, runners face the ascent of Heartbreak Hill, which tests not just their hearts… Even the most daring sometimes give up. The silver lining is that after this daunting climb, runners enjoy an uninterrupted 4 km view of Boston.
The Boston Marathon’s symbolism isn’t solely tied to its historic beginnings. It’s also infamous for the tragic events of April 15, 2013. During that race, two bombs detonated 13 seconds apart at the finish line, resulting in 3 deaths and 183 injuries. Responding seriously to this tragedy, the organizers invited runners to return for the following edition to honor the victims. The 2014 Boston Marathon saw a record 36,000 participants.
KEY POINTS
- This marathon takes place on Patriots’ Day, a day of celebration in Massachusetts and Maine, observed on the third Monday of April. This day commemorates the Battles of Lexington and Concord, which signaled the start of the American Revolutionary War, earning it the nickname “Marathon Monday.”
- The 42.195 kilometers of Boston were once the scene of major deception: Rosa Ruiz. After allegedly qualifying with a record time at the New York Marathon, where she also cheated, she checked into a hotel near the finish line. Skillfully joining the crowd at the right moment, she appeared to finish first in 2 hours and 31 minutes! Journalists quickly exposed her fraud due to many inconsistencies in her story.
- Unable to rearrange the city’s monuments to make room for more participants, the Boston Marathon organizers implemented a lottery system for bib distribution. It’s now much more challenging to secure a starting spot given the high demand.
