The Boston Marathon

Why does everyone want to run the Boston Marathon so badly?

Is it because it's one of the Majors or because of its history? Probably the latter given that it was so popular before the Majors became a thing. But is it worth the hype? And just how hard is it to get into? It's a very different event to the rest of the Majors, for so many reasons.

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Boston

Boston, with a population of just under 700,000 is the capital of the state of Massachusetts. It's the cultural and financial center of New England, a region of six states in the northeast of the USA.

The best way to understand its deep history is to walk the 2.5 mile Freedom Trail, home to 16 sites important to civil liberties and American Freedom. You'll experience some of the city's most well known neighborhoods like the North End and Beacon Hill as you go.

There are few places more obsessed with sports than Boston. As well as being home to the famous Red Sox baseball team, there are Boston Bruins, Boston Celtics, and New England Patriots. There are many fantastic eateries as well as microbreweries and brewpubs, perfect for watching the game.

If you're able to head out of the city and explore the course that's always a good plan. Hopkinton 25 miles (40 km) west is where it all starts. It's only a small town, with a population of around 20,000 and there's plenty of history here as well, including the village of Woodville, which was established as a historic district in 2005. Framingham, also on the route was incorporated in 1700, is bigger, with a population of 70,000. It has one of the largest Brazilian American populations in the US. Seven miles west of Boston is Newton, a combination of thirteen villages and where runners encounter the first of the four infamous Newton Hills. It then turns right onto Route 30 for the long road into Boston. There are two more hills before reaching Centre Street, and then the fourth and most noted, the very famous Heartbreak Hill. There's great crowd support here.

History

There are fewer cities more synonymous with marathon running than Boston. The Boston Marathon was the brainchild of Boston Athletic Association member and inaugural U.S. Olympic team manager John Graham, who was inspired by the marathon at the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896. With the assistance of Boston businessman Herbert H. Holton, various routes were considered, before a measured distance of 24.5 miles from the Irvington Oval in Boston to Metcalf’s Mill in Ashland was eventually selected. Fifteen runners started the race but only 10 made it to the finish line. Although he walked several times during the final miles, John McDermott still won by a comfortable six-minute, fifty-two-seconds. McDermott had won the only other marathon on U.S. soil the previous October in New York. The race distance was changed in 1908 in accordance with Olympic standards to its current length of 26 miles 385 yards.

Since its inception, the Boston Marathon has been held on the holiday commemorating Patriots' Day. From 1897-1968, the Boston Marathon was held on April 19, unless the 19th fell on a Sunday. Since 1969, the holiday has been officially recognized on the third Monday in April. The all-time record for the world's largest marathon was established at the centennial race in 1996, when 35,868 finishers out of 36,748 official starters participated in the 100th running of the Boston Marathon. In terms of on-site media coverage, the Boston Marathon ranks behind only the Super Bowl as the largest single day sporting event in the world. More than 1,100 media members, representing more than 250 outlets, receive credentials annually.

Race Organiser

The Boston Athletic Association. Established in 1887 it is a non-profit, with a mission of promoting a healthy lifestyle through sports, especially running.

When?

The race is held annually in April, on Monday celebrating Patriot's Day.

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The start at Hopkinton

Distances

Marathon only

Is there an Expo?

The expo takes place on Friday to Sunday before the race at the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center at 900 Boylston St. in Boston. It's renowned for its excellent selection of talks and presentations.

How many runners?

30,000

The course

It starts a long way from Boston. Part of its charm is that just like NY you have to get a bus to the start, in the small town of Hopkinton from where you run to the finish on Boylston Street in Boston. The journey itself is an experience with most of the chatter amongst the runners being stories of how they qualified. The race runs through Hopkinton, Ashland, Framingham, Natick, Wellesley (the halfway point), Newton, Brookline, and Boston.

It's hilly! The Boston Marathon is considered to be one of the more difficult marathon courses because of the Newton hills, which culminate in Heartbreak Hill near Boston College at mile 20 in Newton. Most people think it's named because it's here where runners' dreams are challenged but this isn't the reason. This ascent of 0.4 miles (600 m) between the 20- and 21-mile (32- and 34-km) marks is the last of four "Newton hills", which begin at the 16-mile (26 km) mark and challenge contestants with late (if modest) climbs after the course's general downhill trend to that point. It was on this hill in 1936, that defending champion Johnny Kelley overtook Ellison Brown. He gave him a pat on the back which unfortunately for Kelley spurred on Brown, who then overtook him to win the race. While the three hills on Commonwealth Avenue (Route 30) are better known, a preceding hill on Washington Street (Route 16), climbing from the Charles River crossing at 16 miles (26 km), This hill, which follows a 150-foot (46 m) rise over a 1⁄2 mile (800 m) stretch, forcing many runners to walk this stretch.

Not far too go

The elite athletes can't break the world record here. Because the course drops 459 feet (140 m) from start to finish and the start is far west of the finish, allowing a helpful tailwind, the Boston Marathon does not satisfy two of the criteria necessary for the ratification of world or US records.

There is a charity element to the event, but not to the same degree as in London, or to an extent New York. After the tragic bombing of 2013, the organisers have focused the programme on local charities, so it's very different from some of the other events that attract charities from all over the world.

It has great crowd support once you're into the Boston area but as you'd expect crowds are sparse between the towns along the route. Given the standard of the vast majority of the runners taking part this isn't a major issue for them. Most are very experienced and support from cheering supporters isn't as important as it is to those runners in their first ever major event.

The home straight

What's unique?

For its history alone this is a marathon not to be missed. More runners have gone before you here than at any other marathon, anywhere in the world.

Do charities benefit?

There is a significant charity program. focused on local not for profits. In 2023 $40.3 million was raised by runners, a record amount. The total raised since 1989 is now over $500 million.

10% of the total race entries available are allocated to 160 official charities for the 2024 event.

Our verdict

It's not the usual city centre event, but that's its charm. Having built up a history of this magnitude there is something very special about doing Boston. It's a very fast race and for many is the pinnacle of their marathon running journey. Definitely unmissable.

How to register

And this is pretty much why everyone wants to run it. But it's not that easy, because it is incredibly hard to get a spot. This is primarily because you have to qualify and the qualifying times are tough. Many runners enter other marathons purely to run a qualifying time for Boston and if they don't get it they try again. Alternatives include tour operators and charities, who have entries available. Be warned though, to get a charity entry here means raising close to $10,000. And since becoming a founder member of the World Marathon Majors spots are even more sought after as runners target the Six Star finisher medal.

Race website

https://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon