Boston Marathon#Rosie Ruiz, the impostor

{{See also|List of winners of the Boston Marathon}}

Image:Boston1910.jpg

Men have competed in the event since its inaugural edition in 1897. Women were officially allowed to enter the event starting in 1972, although organizers now recognize 1966 as the first edition officially completed by a woman. Wheelchair divisions were added in 1975 for men and in 1977 for women. Handcycle divisions were added in 2017 for both men and women.

The Boston Marathon was first run in April 1897, having been inspired by the revival of the marathon for the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. Until 2020 it was the oldest continuously running marathon,In the United States or the world? and the second longest continuously running footrace in North America, having debuted five months after the Buffalo Turkey Trot.{{cite web|url=http://www.buffalonews.com/city/article646869.ece|title=Pollow takes third consecutive Turkey Trot amid the goofballs|publisher=The Buffalo News|last=Graham|first=Tim|date=November 24, 2011|access-date=November 24, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111126095414/http://www.buffalonews.com/city/article646869.ece|archive-date=November 26, 2011|url-status=live}}

On April 19, 1897, ten years after the establishment of the B.A.A., the association held the {{convert|24.5|mi|km}} marathon to conclude its athletic competition, the B.A.A. Games. The winner of the inaugural edition was John J. "JJ" McDermott, who ran the 24.5 mile course in 2:55:10, leading a field of 15. The event was scheduled for the recently established holiday of Patriots' Day, with the race linking the Athenian and American struggles for liberty.{{cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/04/the-history-of-the-boston-marathon-a-perfect-way-to-celebrate-patriots-day/275023/|title=The History of the Boston Marathon: A Perfect Way to Celebrate Patriot's Day|date=April 17, 2013|publisher=The Atlantic|access-date=April 23, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130422191253/http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/04/the-history-of-the-boston-marathon-a-perfect-way-to-celebrate-patriots-day/275023/|archive-date=April 22, 2013|url-status=live}} The race, which became known as the Boston Marathon, has been held in some form every year since then, even during the World War years and the Great Depression, making it the world's oldest annual marathon. In 1924, the starting line was moved from Metcalf's Mill in Ashland to the neighboring town of Hopkinton. The course was lengthened to {{convert|26|mi|385|yd|km}} to conform to the standard set by the 1908 Summer Olympics and codified by the IAAF in 1921.{{cite web|url=http://216.235.243.43/races/boston-marathon/boston-marathon-history/boston-marathon-milestones.aspx|title=Timeline of Events|publisher=Boston Athletic Association|access-date=April 16, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130509173221/http://216.235.243.43/races/boston-marathon/boston-marathon-history/boston-marathon-milestones.aspx|archive-date=May 9, 2013|url-status=dead}} The first {{convert|1.9|mile|km}} are run in Hopkinton before the runners enter Ashland.{{cite web |title='There's a big buzz' as Hopkinton sets up for upcoming Boston Marathon |url=https://www.wcvb.com/article/hopkinton-preparation-127th-boston-marathon-starting-line/43568679 |website=WCVB |access-date=16 April 2023 |language=en |date=12 April 2023 |archive-date=April 16, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230416212222/https://www.wcvb.com/article/hopkinton-preparation-127th-boston-marathon-starting-line/43568679 |url-status=live }}

The Boston Marathon was originally a local event, but its fame and status have attracted runners from all over the world. For most of its history, the Boston Marathon was a free event, and the only prize awarded for winning the race was a wreath woven from olive branches.{{cite web|url=http://www.myfitnesstunes.com/qa-the-boston-marathon/|title=Q&A: The Boston Marathon|date=April 20, 2010|publisher=Wasabi Media Group|access-date=April 4, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111027024749/http://www.myfitnesstunes.com/qa-the-boston-marathon|archive-date=October 27, 2011|url-status=live}} However, corporate-sponsored cash prizes began to be awarded in the 1980s, when professional athletes refused to run the race unless a cash award was available. The first cash prize for winning the marathon was awarded in 1986.{{cite news|url=http://www.boston.com/zope_homepage/sports/marathon_archive/history/1986.shtml|title=De Castella and Kristiansen Win First Cash Prize|publisher=NY Times Co.|access-date=April 4, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103084526/http://www.boston.com/zope_homepage/sports/marathon_archive/history/1986.shtml|archive-date=November 3, 2012|url-status=live}}

Walter A. Brown was the President of the Boston Athletic Association from 1941 to 1964.{{cite news | url=http://www.boston.com/sports/specials/marathon/articles/2008/04/17/legacy_on_the_line/ | work=The Boston Globe | title=Legacy on the line | last=Pave | first=Marvin | date=April 17, 2008 | access-date=April 16, 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303205359/http://www.boston.com/sports/specials/marathon/articles/2008/04/17/legacy_on_the_line/ | archive-date=March 3, 2016 | url-status=live }} During the height of the Korean War in 1951, Brown denied Koreans entry into the Boston Marathon.{{Cite web |title=Koreans and the Boston Marathon {{!}} Center for Global Christianity & Mission |url=https://www.bu.edu/cgcm/research/korean-diaspora-project/issues/boston-marathon/ |access-date=2024-01-31 |website=www.bu.edu |archive-date=January 31, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240131071201/https://www.bu.edu/cgcm/research/korean-diaspora-project/issues/boston-marathon/ |url-status=live }} He stated: "While American soldiers are fighting and dying in Korea, every Korean should be fighting to protect his country instead of training for marathons. As long as the war continues there, we positively will not accept Korean entries for our race on April 19."{{cite magazine|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,820682,00.html|title=Sport: Banned in Boston|magazine=Time|date=February 12, 1951|access-date=April 16, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130721121050/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,820682,00.html|archive-date=July 21, 2013|url-status=dead}}

File:Kathrine Switzer, Boston Marathon.jpg attacked by race official Jock Semple in effort to protect the race from "Contamination Rules" which prevented women from officially entering the marathon]]

The Boston Marathon rule book made no mention of gender until after the 1967 race.

{{cite book

|last=Switzer

|first=Kathrine

|date=2017-04-04

|access-date=2020-04-24

|edition=4th

|title=Marathon Woman

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200420232514/https://kathrineswitzer.com/1967-boston-marathon-the-real-story/

|archive-date=2020-04-20

|url=https://kathrineswitzer.com/1967-boston-marathon-the-real-story/

|url-status=live

|publisher=Da Capo Press Inc

|isbn=978-0306825651

|quote=We checked the rule book and entry form; there was nothing about gender in the marathon. I filled in my AAU number, plunked down $3 cash as entry fee, signed as I always sign my name, 'K.V. Switzer,' and went to the university infirmary to get a fitness certificate.

}} Nor did the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) exclude women from races that included men until after the 1967 Boston Marathon. Roberta "Bobbi" Gibb's attempt to register for the 1966 race was refused by race director Will Cloney in a letter in which he claimed women were physiologically incapable of running 26 miles.{{cite web

|last=Gibbs

|first=Roberta "Bobbi"

|url=http://runningpast.com/gibb_story.htm

|title=Roberta "Bobbi" Gibb - A Run of One's Own

|publisher=Women's Sports Foundation

|access-date=April 25, 2020

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191204153307/http://www.runningpast.com/gibb_story.htm

|archive-date=December 4, 2019

|url-status=live

}}

Gibb nevertheless ran unregistered and finished the 1966 race in three hours, twenty-one minutes and forty seconds,Derderian, Tom (1996). Boston Marathon: The History of the World's Premier Running Event. Champaign, Illinois: Human Kinetics Publishers. ahead of two-thirds of the runners. Much later, she would be recognized by the race organizers as the first woman to run the entire Boston Marathon.

In 1967, Kathrine Switzer, who registered for the race using her official AAU registration number, paying the entry fee, providing a properly acquired fitness certificate, and signing her entry form with her usual signature 'K. V. Switzer', was the first woman to run and finish with a valid official race registration. As a result of Switzer's completion of the race as the first officially registered woman runner, the AAU changed its rules to ban women from competing in races against men.

{{cite book

|title = The Women's Book of World Records and Achievements

|url = https://archive.org/details/isbn_0385127332

|url-access = registration

|last = Romanelli

|first = Elaine

|editor-last = O'Neill

|editor-first = Lois Decker

|publisher = Anchor Press

|year = 1979

|page = [https://archive.org/details/isbn_0385127332/page/576 576]

|chapter = Women in Sports and Games

|isbn = 0-385-12733-2

|quote = [Switzer's] run created such a stir that the AAU [...] barred women from all competition with men in these events on pain of losing all rights to compete.}}

Switzer finished the race despite race official Jock Semple repeatedly assaulting her in an attempt to rip off her race numbers and eject her from the race.{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1141740|title=NPR: Marathon Women|publisher=NPR|date=April 15, 2002|access-date=April 14, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140308233651/http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1141740|archive-date=March 8, 2014|url-status=live}} Afterwards, Semple and Switzer became friends.{{Cite web |date=2017-04-10 |title=Who Was That Guy Who Attacked Kathrine Switzer 50 Years Ago? |url=https://www.runnersworld.com/news/a20852681/who-was-that-guy-who-attacked-kathrine-switzer-50-years-ago/ |access-date=2025-04-06 |website=Runner's World |language=en-US}}

Nina Kuscsik was instrumental in influencing the Amateur Athletic Union, in late 1971, to increase its maximum distance for sanctioned women's races, leading to official participation by women in marathons, beginning at Boston in 1972.{{cite web|url=http://www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/40-years-ago-six-women-changed-racing-forever|title=40 Years Ago, Six Women Changed Racing Forever|last=Butler|first=Charles|date=October 19, 2012|publisher=Runner's World|access-date=2 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160112071421/http://www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/40-years-ago-six-women-changed-racing-forever|archive-date=12 January 2016|url-status=dead}} Kuscsik was the first woman to officially win the Boston Marathon, which occurred in 1972.{{cite web|title=Nina Kuscsik|url=http://www.distancerunning.com/inductees/1999/kuscsik.html|website=Distance Running|access-date=24 April 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150508010414/http://www.distancerunning.com/inductees/1999/kuscsik.html|archive-date=8 May 2015}}

In 1996, the B.A.A. retroactively recognized as champions the unofficial women's leaders of 1966 through 1971. In 2022, about 43 percent of the entrants were women.{{cite news |work=New York Times |last=Tumin |first=Remy |title=In 1972, only 8 women ran the race. Today, 12,100 are running. |date=18 April 2022 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/18/sports/women-running-boston-marathon.html |accessdate=31 December 2024}}

In 1980, Rosie Ruiz crossed the finish line first in the women's race. However, marathon officials became suspicious, and it was discovered that she did not appear in race videotapes until near the end of the race, with a subsequent investigation concluding that she had skipped most of the race and blended into the crowd about a half-mile (800{{nbsp}}m) from the finish line, where she then ran to her false victory. She was disqualified eight days later, and Canadian Jacqueline Gareau was proclaimed the winner.

In 1905, James Edward Brooks of North Adams, Massachusetts, died of pneumonia shortly after running the marathon.Johanne Grewell. "Eleanor Brooks Fairs." American Communal Societies Quarterly, October 2009. In 1996, a 61-year-old Swedish man, Humphrey Siesage, died of a heart attack during the 100th running. In 2002, Cynthia Lucero, 28, died of hyponatremia.

{{main|2011 Boston Marathon}}

On April 18, 2011, Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya won the 2011 Boston Marathon in a time of 2:03:02:00.{{cite news |title=BAA on record: Geoffrey Mutai's No. 1 |first=John |last=Connolly |url=http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/other_sports/marathon/view.bg?articleid=1332017&srvc=sports&position=recent |newspaper=Boston Herald |date=April 20, 2011 |access-date=April 20, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121005102928/http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/other_sports/marathon/view.bg?articleid=1332017&srvc=sports&position=recent |archive-date=October 5, 2012 |url-status=live }} Although this was the fastest marathon ever run at the time, the International Association of Athletics Federations noted that the performance was not eligible for world record status given that the course did not satisfy rules that regarded elevation drop and start/finish separation (the latter requirement being intended to prevent advantages gained from a strong tailwind, as was the case in 2011).{{cite web |url=http://www.iaaf.org/LRR11/news/newsid=59806.html |title=Strong winds and ideal conditions propel Mutai to fastest Marathon ever - Boston Marathon report |last=Monti |first=David |date=April 18, 2011 |work=iaaf.org |publisher=International Association of Athletics Federations |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120118182119/http://www.iaaf.org/LRR11/news/newsid%3D59806.html |archive-date=January 18, 2012 |df=mdy-all }} The Associated Press (AP) reported that Mutai had the support of other runners who describe the IAAF's rules as "flawed". According to the Boston Herald, race director Dave McGillivray said he was sending paperwork to the IAAF in an attempt to have Mutai's mark ratified as a world record. Although this was not successful, the AP indicated that the attempt to have the mark certified as a world record "would force the governing bodies to reject an unprecedented performance on the world's most prestigious marathon course".

{{main|Boston Marathon bombing}}

On April 15, 2013, the Boston Marathon was still in progress at 2:49{{nbsp}}p.m. EDT (nearly three hours after the winner crossed the finish line), when two homemade bombs were set off about {{convert|200|yd|m}} apart on Boylston Street, in approximately the last {{convert|225|yd|m|sigfig=1}} of the course. The race was halted, preventing many from finishing. Three spectators were killed and an estimated 264 were injured. Entrants who completed at least half the course and did not finish due to the bombing were given automatic entry in 2014. In 2015, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, one of the perpetrators of the bombing, was found guilty of 30 federal offenses in connection with the attack and was sentenced to death. His older brother Tamerlan died after a gunfight with police and after Dzhokhar ran him over with a stolen vehicle.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/03/16/turn-makes-martyr/xWp8hj4Wx01mrKUglRF93J/story.html?outputType=amp|title=In Watertown, one brother's decision led to death of another |website=The Boston Globe|access-date=December 18, 2021|archive-date=December 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211218105312/https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/03/16/turn-makes-martyr/xWp8hj4Wx01mrKUglRF93J/story.html?outputType=amp|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.ibtimes.com/what-happened-dzhokhar-tsarnaev-update-boston-marathon-bomber-sentenced-death-2526052|title=What Happened To Dzhokhar Tsarnaev? Update On Boston Marathon Bomber Sentenced To Death|date=2017-04-16|work=International Business Times|access-date=2018-04-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180418001838/http://www.ibtimes.com/what-happened-dzhokhar-tsarnaev-update-boston-marathon-bomber-sentenced-death-2526052|archive-date=April 18, 2018|url-status=live}}

Bizunesh Deba of Ethiopia was eventually named women's winner of the 2014 Boston Marathon, following the disqualification of Kenyan Rita Jeptoo from the event due to confirmed doping. Deba finished in a time of 2:19:59, and became the course record holder. Her performance bested that of Margaret Okayo, who ran a time of 2:20:43 in 2002.{{cite web|url=http://www.baa.org/news-and-press/news-listing/2016/december/buzunesh-deba-named-2014-boston-marathon-champion.aspx|title=Buzunesh Deba Named 2014 Boston Marathon Champion|author=Boston Athletic Association|work=B.A.A.|access-date=December 13, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171109081338/http://www.baa.org/news-and-press/news-listing/2016/december/buzunesh-deba-named-2014-boston-marathon-champion.aspx|archive-date=November 9, 2017|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}

In the 2016 Boston Marathon, Jami Marseilles, an American, became the first female double amputee to finish the Boston Marathon.{{cite web|url=http://www.wbur.org/2016/04/19/jami-marseilles-runs-boston-marathon-history|title=Bilateral Amputee Jami Marseilles Makes Boston Marathon History|author=Bruce Gellerman|date=April 19, 2016|work=wbur|access-date=April 20, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160422020401/http://www.wbur.org/2016/04/19/jami-marseilles-runs-boston-marathon-history|archive-date=April 22, 2016|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=http://www.runnersworld.com/chicago-marathon/bilateral-amputee-jami-marseilles-completes-the-chicago-marathon|title=Bilateral Amputee Jami Marseilles Completes the Chicago Marathon|work=Runner's World|date=October 14, 2015|access-date=April 20, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160505185853/http://www.runnersworld.com/chicago-marathon/bilateral-amputee-jami-marseilles-completes-the-chicago-marathon|archive-date=May 5, 2016|url-status=live}} Bobbi Gibb, the first woman to have run the entire Boston Marathon (1966), was the grand marshal of the race.{{cite web|url=http://m.rockport.wickedlocal.com/article/20160418/NEWS/160416234|title=Bobbi Gibb serves as grand marshal of 2016 Boston Marathon|agency=Associated Press|work=Wicked Local Rockport}} The Women's Open division winner, Atsede Baysa, gave Gibb her trophy; Gibb said that she would go to Baysa's native Ethiopia in 2017 and return it to her.{{cite web|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/specials/boston-marathon/2016/04/19/atsede-baysa-gives-her-marathon-trophy-bobbi-gibb/e2iqVunwWH74JGfkrwwwWP/story.html|title=Atsede Baysa gives her Boston Marathon trophy to Bobbi Gibb|work=The Boston Globe|access-date=April 20, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160420084807/https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/specials/boston-marathon/2016/04/19/atsede-baysa-gives-her-marathon-trophy-bobbi-gibb/e2iqVunwWH74JGfkrwwwWP/story.html|archive-date=April 20, 2016|url-status=live}}

{{anchor|2020 Boston Marathon}}

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Boston Marathon was initially rescheduled from April 20 to September 14.{{cite news |last=Logan |first=Tim |title=Boston Marathon postponed to September due to coronavirus |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/03/13/nation/boston-marathon-2020-coronavirus/ |work=The Boston Globe |url-access=limited |date=March 13, 2020 |access-date=March 13, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200313152832/https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/03/13/nation/boston-marathon-2020-coronavirus/ |archive-date=March 13, 2020 |url-status=live }} It was the first postponement in the more than 100 year uninterrupted history of the event.{{cite news |url=https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-marathon/2020/03/13/2020-boston-marathon-postponed |title=2020 Boston Marathon postponed to Monday, Sept. 14 |first=Nicole |last=Yang |website=Boston.com |date=March 13, 2020 |access-date=March 13, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200314164858/https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-marathon/2020/03/13/2020-boston-marathon-postponed |archive-date=March 14, 2020 |url-status=live }}

On May 28, 2020, it was announced that the rescheduled marathon set for September 14 was canceled.{{cite web |last1=Waller |first1=John |title=The 2020 Boston Marathon has been canceled |url=https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-marathon-2/2020/05/28/2020-boston-marathon-canceled |website=Boston.com |access-date=28 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200608124821/https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-marathon-2/2020/05/28/2020-boston-marathon-canceled |archive-date=June 8, 2020 |url-status=live }} Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said of the decision to cancel the race, "There's no way to hold this usual race format without bringing large numbers of people into close proximity. While our goal and our hope was to make progress in containing the virus and recovering our economy, this kind of event would not be responsible or realistic on September 14 or any time this year."{{Cite web|title=Boston Marathon canceled for 1st time in 124-year history|url=https://apnews.com/c79eb6364911d9bb2b3b05835dcc7af3|last=Golen|first=Jimmy|date=May 28, 2020|website=The Associated Press|access-date=May 28, 2020|archive-date=May 30, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200530005953/https://apnews.com/c79eb6364911d9bb2b3b05835dcc7af3|url-status=live}}

Runners were issued full refunds of entry fees.{{cite press release |url=https://www.baa.org/124th-boston-marathon-be-held-virtually |title=124th Boston Marathon to be Held Virtually |publisher=Boston Athletic Association |website=BAA.org |date=May 28, 2020 |access-date=October 9, 2021 |archive-date=October 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211009160031/https://www.baa.org/124th-boston-marathon-be-held-virtually |url-status=live }} Organizers later staged a "virtual alternative" in September 2020 as the 124th running of the marathon.{{cite press release |url=https://www.baa.org/124th-boston-marathon-virtual-experience-features-more-15900-finishers |title=124th Boston Marathon Virtual Experience Features More Than 15,900 Finishers |publisher=Boston Athletic Association |website=BAA.org |date=September 25, 2020 |access-date=October 9, 2021 |archive-date=October 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211009160032/https://www.baa.org/124th-boston-marathon-virtual-experience-features-more-15900-finishers |url-status=live }} This was the second time that the format of the marathon was modified, the first having been in 1918, when the race was changed from a marathon to a military relay race (ekiden) because of {{nowrap|World War I}}.{{cite news |url=https://www.concordmonitor.com/Boston-Marathon-relay-to-commemorate-World-War-I-race-16236373 |title=Boston Marathon relay to commemorate World War I race |first=Jimmy |last=Golen |website=Concord Monitor |location=Concord, New Hampshire |url-access=limited |date=March 15, 2018 |access-date=October 10, 2021 |archive-date=October 11, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211011022215/https://www.concordmonitor.com/Boston-Marathon-relay-to-commemorate-World-War-I-race-16236373 |url-status=live }}

{{main|2021 Boston Marathon}}

On October 28, 2020, the B.A.A. announced that the 2021 edition of the marathon would not be held in April; organizers stated that they hoped to stage the event later in the year, possibly in the autumn.{{cite news |url=https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-marathon/2020/10/28/2021-boston-marathon-postponed-date |title=Boston Marathon will not be held in April 2021, BAA announces |first=Katie |last=McInerney |website=Boston.com |date=October 28, 2020 |access-date=October 28, 2020 |archive-date=October 29, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029134649/https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-marathon/2020/10/28/2021-boston-marathon-postponed-date |url-status=live }} In late January 2021, organizers announced October 11 as the date for the marathon, contingent upon road races being allowed in Massachusetts at that time.{{cite news |url=https://www.bostonherald.com/2021/01/26/boston-marathon-set-for-oct-11-if-road-races-are-allowed-in-massachusetts-coronavirus-reopening-plan/ |title=Boston Marathon set for Oct. 11 — if road races are allowed in Massachusetts coronavirus reopening plan |first=Rick |last=Sobey |website=Boston Herald |date=January 26, 2021 |access-date=January 27, 2021 |archive-date=May 6, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506103105/https://www.bostonherald.com/2021/01/26/boston-marathon-set-for-oct-11-if-road-races-are-allowed-in-massachusetts-coronavirus-reopening-plan/ |url-status=live }} In March, organizers announced that the field would be limited to 20,000 runners.{{cite news |url=https://www.wbur.org/news/2021/03/15/boston-marathon-field-shrunk-coronavirus-distancing |title=This Year's Boston Marathon, Rescheduled For October, Will Be Capped At 20,000 Runners |first=Jonathan |last=Cain |website=WBUR-FM |date=March 15, 2021 |access-date=April 9, 2021 |archive-date=March 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210316130727/https://www.wbur.org/news/2021/03/15/boston-marathon-field-shrunk-coronavirus-distancing |url-status=live }} The race was the fourth of the five World Marathon Majors held in 2021; all the events in the series were run in the space of six weeks between late September and early November.{{cite magazine| url=https://runningmagazine.ca/the-scene/a-look-at-the-tightly-packed-fall-marathon-schedule/| title=A look at the tightly packed fall marathon schedule| magazine=Running Magazine| date=31 January 2021| access-date=12 August 2021| archive-date=12 August 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210812154447/https://runningmagazine.ca/the-scene/a-look-at-the-tightly-packed-fall-marathon-schedule/| url-status=live}} In 2021, the B.A.A. also offered a virtual alternative to the in-person race to be completed anytime between 8–10 October.{{Cite web|title=Virtual 125th Boston Marathon Fact Sheet {{!}} Boston Athletic Association|url=https://www.baa.org/virtual-125th-boston-marathon-fact-sheet|access-date=2022-01-05|website=www.baa.org|language=en|archive-date=January 5, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220105044334/https://www.baa.org/virtual-125th-boston-marathon-fact-sheet|url-status=live}}

The Boston Marathon is open to runners 18 or older from any nation, but they must meet certain qualifying standards. To qualify, a runner must first complete a standard marathon course certified by a national governing body affiliated with the World Athletics within a certain period of time before the date of the desired Boston Marathon (usually within approximately 18 months prior).

In the 1980s and 1990s, membership in USA Track & Field was required of all runners, but this requirement has been eliminated.{{cite news |work=Newsday |last=Hanc |first=Jon |title=Marathoner Hits Bottom Of the World |date=29 January 1999}}

Qualifying standards for the 2013 race were tightened on February 15, 2011, by five minutes in each age-gender group for marathons run after September 23, 2011. Prospective runners in the age range of 18–34 must run a time of no more than 3:00:00 (3 hours) if male, or 3:30:00 (3 hours 30 minutes) if female; the qualifying time is adjusted upward as age increases. In addition, the 59-second grace period on qualifying times has been eliminated; for example, a 40- to 44-year-old male will no longer qualify with a time of 3:10:01. For many marathoners, to qualify for Boston (to "BQ") is a goal and achievement in itself. This leads many runners to find intrinsic motivation in qualifying for the elusive marathon by setting the specific, time-based, and difficult goals associated with the age-based time standard.Victoria Stewart, Sara S McMillan, Jie Hu, Jack C Collins, Sarira El-Den, Claire L O’Reilly, Amanda J Wheeler, Are SMART goals fit-for-purpose? Goal planning with mental health service-users in Australian community pharmacies, International Journal for Quality in Health Care, Volume 36, Issue 1, 2024, mzae009, https://doi.org/10.1093/intqhc/mzae009

An exception to the qualification times is for runners who receive entries from partners. About one-fifth of the marathon's spots are reserved each year for charities, sponsors, vendors, licensees, consultants, municipal officials, local running clubs, and marketers. In 2010, about 5,470 additional runners received entries through partners, including 2,515 charity runners. The marathon currently allocates spots to two dozen charities who in turn are expected to raise more than $10 million a year. In 2017, charity runners raised $34.2 million for more than 200 non-profit organizations. The Boston Athletic Association's Official Charity Program raised $17.96 million, John Hancock's Non-Profit Program raised $12.3 million, and the last $3.97 million was raised by other qualified and invitational runners.{{Cite news|url=http://running.competitor.com/2017/06/news/2017-boston-marathon-charity-runners-raised-34-2-million_165773|title=2017 Boston Marathon Charity Runners Raised $34.2 Million|date=2017-06-29|work=Competitor.com|access-date=2017-06-30|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170630001741/http://running.competitor.com/2017/06/news/2017-boston-marathon-charity-runners-raised-34-2-million_165773|archive-date=June 30, 2017|url-status=live}}

On October 18, 2010, the 20,000 spots reserved for qualifiers were filled in a record-setting eight hours and three minutes. The speed of registration prompted the B.A.A. to change its qualifying standards for the 2013 marathon onward. In addition to lowering qualifying times, the change includes a rolling application process, which gives faster runners priority. Organizers decided not to significantly adjust the number of non-qualifiers.

On September 27, 2018, the B.A.A. announced that they were lowering the qualifying times for the 2020 marathon by another five minutes, with male runners in the 18-34 age group required to run a time of 3:00:00 (3 hours) or less and female runners in the 18-34 age group required to run a time of 3:30:00 (3 hours, 30 minutes) or less in order to qualify.[https://www.baa.org/2019-boston-marathon-qualifier-acceptances "2019 Boston Marathon Qualifier Acceptances"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181008121553/https://www.baa.org/2019-boston-marathon-qualifier-acceptances |date=October 8, 2018 }}, BAA.org 2018-09-27, Retrieved 2018-10-26

In September 2024, the B.A.A. announced new qualifying times for the 2026 race, lowering the former qualifying times by five minutes for most age groups. The 18-34 age group needs to run a time of 2:55 (two hours, 55 minutes) for males, and 3:25 (3 hours, 25 minutes) for female and non-binary runners to qualify for the 2026 race.{{Cite web |last=Touri |first=Amin |date=16 September 2024 |title=The Boston Marathon’s qualifying standards just got harder. Here’s what you need to know |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/09/16/sports/boston-marathon-qualifying-standards/ |access-date=2024-09-17 |website=The Boston Globe |language=en-US}}

The race has traditionally been held on Patriots' Day, a state holiday in Massachusetts, and until 1969 that was every April 19, whichever day of the week that fell on. From 1969 to 2019, the holiday was observed on the third Monday in April and so the marathon date was correspondingly fixed to that Monday, often referred to by local residents as "Marathon Monday".

Through 2005, the race began at noon (wheelchair race at 11:25{{nbsp}}a.m., and elite women at 11:31{{nbsp}}a.m.), at the official starting point in Hopkinton, Massachusetts. In 2006, the race used a staggered "wave start", where top-seeded runners (the elite men's group) and a first batch of up to 10,000 runners started at noon, with a second group starting at 12:30. The next year the starting times for the race were moved up, allowing runners to take advantage of cooler temperatures and enabling the roads to be reopened earlier. The marathon later added third and fourth waves to help further stagger the runners and reduce congestion.

The starting times for 2019 were:{{Cite news|url=https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-marathon/2019/03/18/what-time-does-2019-boston-marathon-start|title=What time does the Boston Marathon start?|date=2019-03-18|work=Boston.com|access-date=2019-03-21|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190321150925/https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-marathon/2019/03/18/what-time-does-2019-boston-marathon-start|archive-date=March 21, 2019|url-status=live}}

• Men's Push Rim Wheelchair: 9:02 a.m.
• Women's Push Rim Wheelchair: 9:04 a.m.
• Handcycles and Duos: 9:25 a.m.
• Elite Women: 9:32 a.m.
• Elite Men: 10 a.m.
• Wave One: 10:02 a.m.
• Wave Two: 10:25 a.m.
• Wave Three: 10:50 a.m.
• Wave Four: 11:15 a.m.

File:Boston Marathon route.png

The course runs through {{convert|26|mi|385|yd|km}} of winding roads, following Route 135, Route 16, Route 30 and city streets into the center of Boston, where the official finish line is located at Copley Square, alongside the Boston Public Library. The race runs through eight Massachusetts cities and towns: Hopkinton, Ashland, Framingham, Natick, Wellesley, Newton, Brookline, and Boston.

Image:Cheruiyot.jpg on his way to winning the 2006 Boston Marathon, where he set a new course record.]]

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. 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 {{convert|16|mi|km}}, is regarded by Dave McGillivray, the long-term race director, as the course's most difficult challenge. This hill, which follows a {{convert|150|ft|m|adj=on}} rise over a {{convert|1/2|mi|m}} stretch, forces many lesser-trained runners to a walking pace.

Heartbreak Hill is an ascent over {{convert|0.4|mi|m|-2}} between the 20- and 21-mile (32- and 34-km) marks, near Boston College. It is the last of four "Newton hills", which begin at the {{convert|16|mi|km|adj=on}} mark and challenge contestants with late (if modest) climbs after the course's general downhill trend to that point. Though Heartbreak Hill itself rises only {{convert|88|ft|m}} vertically (from an elevation of {{convert|148|to|236|ft|m}}), it comes in the portion of a marathon distance where muscle glycogen stores are most likely to be depleted—a phenomenon referred to by marathoners as "hitting the wall".

It was on this hill that, in 1936, defending champion John A. "Johnny" Kelley overtook Ellison "Tarzan" Brown, giving him a consolatory pat on the shoulder as he passed. This gesture renewed the competitive drive in Brown, who rallied, pulled ahead of Kelley, and went on to win—thereby, it was said, breaking Kelley's heart.

Image:Boston Marathon 2010 in Wellesley.JPG, just after the halfway mark]]

Because the course drops {{convert|459|ft|m}} from start to finish and the start is quite 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 American records.

At the 2011 Boston Marathon on April 18, 2011, Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya ran a time of 2:03:02, which was the fastest ever marathon at the time (since surpassed by Eliud Kipchoge's 2:01:39 in Berlin 2018). However, due to the reasons listed above, Mutai's performance was not ratified as an official world record. Bezunesh Deba from Ethiopia set the women's course record with a 2:19:59 performance on April 21, 2014. This was declared after Rita Jeptoo from Kenya was disqualified following a confirmed doping violation.{{cite web

|url=http://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon/boston-marathon-history/course-records.aspx

|title=Boston Marathon History: Course Records

|work=Boston Athletic Association website

|access-date=October 16, 2017

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171016174215/http://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon/boston-marathon-history/course-records.aspx

|archive-date=October 16, 2017

|url-status=live

}}

Other course records include:

• Men's Masters: John Campbell (New Zealand), 2:11:04 (set in 1990)
• Women's Masters: Firiya Sultanova-Zhdanova (Russia), 2:27:58 (set in 2002)
• Men's Push Rim Wheelchair: Marcel Hug (Switzerland), 1:17:06 (set in 2023)
• Women's Push Rim Wheelchair: Manuela Schär (Switzerland), 1:28:17 (set in 2017)
• Men's Handcycle: Tom Davis (United States), 0:58:36 (set in 2017)
• Women's Handcycle: Alicia Dana (United States), 1:18:15 (set in 2023){{cite news|url=https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-marathon/2023/04/17/boston-marathon-handcycling-duos-champions/#:~:text=Zachary%20Stinson%20and%20Alicia%20Dana%20take%20Boston%20Marathon%20handcycle%20titles|title=Zachary Stinson and Alicia Dana take Boston Marathon handcycle titles: Dana set a course record for women's handcycling|work=Boston.com|access-date=2023-04-18|date=April 17, 2023|first=Peyton|last=Doyle|archive-date=December 6, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231206190621/https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-marathon/2023/04/17/boston-marathon-handcycling-duos-champions/#:~:text=Zachary%20Stinson%20and%20Alicia%20Dana%20take%20Boston%20Marathon%20handcycle%20titles|url-status=live}}

On only four occasions have world record times for marathon running been set in Boston.{{Citation needed|date=April 2011}} In 1947, the men's record time set was 2:25:39, by Suh Yun-Bok of South Korea. In 1975, a women's world record of 2:42:24 was set by Liane Winter of West Germany, and in 1983, Joan Benoit Samuelson of the United States ran a women's world record time of 2:22:43. In 2012 Joshua Cassidy of Canada set a men's wheelchair marathon world-record time of 1:18:25.

In 2007, astronaut Sunita Williams was an official entrant of the race, running a marathon distance while on the International Space Station, becoming the first person to run a marathon in space. She was sent a specialty bib and medal by the B.A.A. on the STS-117 flight of the Space Shuttle Atlantis.{{cite web |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/17862610 |title=Astronaut to run Boston Marathon — in space |access-date=December 19, 2007 |work=NBC News |year=2007 |author=Jimmy Golen for The Associated Press |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140104122547/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/17862610/ |archive-date=January 4, 2014 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=http://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/news/releases/2007/H07-078.html |title=NASA Astronaut to Run Boston Marathon in Space |access-date=December 19, 2007 |publisher=NASA |year=2007 |author=NASA |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071109190134/http://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/news/releases/2007/H07-078.html |archive-date=November 9, 2007 |url-status=live }}

The race's organizers keep a standard time clock for all entries, though official timekeeping ceases after the six-hour mark.{{cite news |work=Runner's World |last=Lorge Butler |first=Sarah |title=Controversy Arises Over Boston’s Moving 6-Hour Results Cutoff |date=8 May 2024 |url=https://www.runnersworld.com/news/a60733155/boston-marathon-6-hour-results-cutoff/ |accessdate=31 December 2024}}

{{main|Boston Athletic Association}}

The Boston Athletic Association is a non-profit, organized sports association that organizes the Boston Marathon and other events.

The 1975 Boston Marathon became the first major marathon to include a wheelchair division competition. Bob Hall wrote race director Will Cloney to ask if he could compete in the race in his wheelchair. Cloney wrote back that he could not give Hall a race number, but would recognize Hall as an official finisher if he completed the race in under 3 hours and 30 minutes. Hall finished in 2 hours and 58 minutes, paving the way for the wheelchair division. Ernst Van Dyk, in 2004, set a course record at 1:18.29, almost 50 minutes faster than the fastest runner.{{Cite web |date=2010-04-16 |title=The Fastest Man at the Boston Marathon |url=https://www.popularmechanics.com/adventure/sports/a5529/wheelchair-racing-boston-marathon/ |access-date=2023-03-10 |website=Popular Mechanics |language=en-us |archive-date=March 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230310175453/https://www.popularmechanics.com/adventure/sports/a5529/wheelchair-racing-boston-marathon/ |url-status=live }}

Also in 1975, the Boston Marathon first included a women's masters division, which Sylvia Weiner won, at age 44 with a time of 3:21:38.{{Cite web|title = 84-Year-Old Holocaust Survivor Says Running Saved Her Life|date = 13 April 2015|url = http://www.runnersworld.com/boston-marathon/84-year-old-holocaust-survivor-says-running-saved-her-life|publisher = Runner's World|accessdate = 2015-05-12}}

Handcyclists have competed in the race since at least 2014. Starting in 2017, handcyclists are honored the same way runners and wheelchair racers are: with wreaths, prize money, and the playing of the men's and women's winners' national anthems.{{Cite web |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/04/12/baa-honor-handcylce-winners-expand-field/3sZTEFHYZzdS0H8mXaRunK/story.html |title=BAA to honor handcycle winners, expand field |website=The Boston Globe |access-date=April 15, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170507070953/http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/04/12/baa-honor-handcylce-winners-expand-field/3sZTEFHYZzdS0H8mXaRunK/story.html |archive-date=May 7, 2017 |url-status=live }}

In addition to the push rim wheelchair division, the Boston Marathon{{cite news |title=Marine veteran who crawled to the Boston Marathon finish line was inspired by fallen comrades |url=https://www.full2info.com/2019/04/marine-veteran-who-crawled-to-boston.html |access-date=April 18, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190418200258/https://www.full2info.com/2019/04/marine-veteran-who-crawled-to-boston.html |archive-date=April 18, 2019 |url-status=live }} also hosts a blind/visually impaired division, and a mobility impaired program. Similar to the running divisions, a set of qualifying times has been developed for these divisions to motivate aspiring athletes and ensure competitive excellence. In 1986, the introduction of prize money at the Boston Marathon gave the push rim wheelchair division the richest prize purse in the sport. More than 1,000 people with disabilities and impairments have participated in the wheelchair division, while the other divisions have gained popularity each year. In 2013, 40 blind runners participated.

The nonbinary division of the Boston Marathon was first included in 2023; it was won by Kae Ravichandran with a time of 2:38:57.{{Cite web|url=https://www.runnersworld.com/races-places/a43607525/boston-marathon-nonbinary-results-2023/|title=Kae Ravichandran Wins Nonbinary Division at the 2023 Boston Marathon|date=April 18, 2023|website=Runner's World}}

The Boston Marathon Memorial in Copley Square, which is near the finish line, was installed to mark the one-hundredth running of the race. A circle of granite blocks set in the ground surrounds a central medallion that traces the race course and other segments that show an elevation map of the course and the names of the winners.{{cite web|url=http://www.publicartboston.com/content/boston-marathon-memorial|title=Boston Marathon Memorial|publisher=Boston Art Commission|access-date=January 13, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160126213654/http://www.publicartboston.com/content/boston-marathon-memorial|archive-date=January 26, 2016|url-status=usurped|df=mdy-all}}

With approximately 500,000 spectators, the Boston Marathon is New England's most widely viewed sporting event. About 1,000 media members from more than 100 outlets received media credentials in 2011.

For the entire distance of the race, thousands line the sides of the course to cheer the runners on, encourage them, and provide free water and snacks to the runners.

File:Wellesley College.jpg

At Wellesley College, a historically women's college, it is traditional for the students to cheer on the runners in what is referred to as the Scream Tunnel. For about a quarter of a mile (400{{nbsp}}m), the students line the course, scream, and offer kisses.

The Scream Tunnel is so loud runners claim it can be heard from a mile away. The tunnel is roughly half a mile (0.8{{nbsp}}km) prior to the halfway mark of the course.

Every year, the Boston Red Sox play a home game at Fenway Park, starting at 11:05{{nbsp}}a.m. When the game ends, the crowd empties into Kenmore Square to cheer as the runners enter the final mile. This tradition started in 1903. In the 1940s, the Red Sox from the American League and the Boston Braves from the National League (who moved to Milwaukee after the 1953 season) alternated yearly as to which would play the morning game. In 2007, the game between the Red Sox and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim was delayed until 12:18{{nbsp}}p.m. due to heavy rain. The marathon, which had previously been run in a wide variety of weather conditions, was not delayed. The 2018 game hosting the Baltimore Orioles was postponed into May due to rain,{{Cite news|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/redsox/2018/04/15/red-sox-announce-postponement-monday-game/RPJj0eJqzTb4axAYr6gHGI/story.html|title=Red Sox announce postponement of Monday's game|work=The Boston Globe|access-date=2018-04-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180417023828/https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/redsox/2018/04/15/red-sox-announce-postponement-monday-game/RPJj0eJqzTb4axAYr6gHGI/story.html|archive-date=April 17, 2018|url-status=live}} while 2020 saw the game not played resulting from the pandemic.

File:Team Hoyt April 16, 2012.JPGDick and Rick Hoyt entered the Boston Marathon 32 times. Dick was the father of Rick, who had cerebral palsy. While doctors said that Rick would never have a normal life and thought that institutionalizing him was the best option, Dick and his wife disagreed and raised him at home. Eventually, a computer device was developed that helped Rick communicate with his family, and they learned that one of his biggest passions was sports. "Team Hoyt" (Dick and Rick) started competing in charity runs, with Dick pushing Rick in a wheelchair. Through August 2008, Dick and Rick had competed in 66 marathons and 229 triathlons. Their fastest marathon finish was 2:40:47.{{citation needed|date=September 2023}} The team completed their 30th Boston Marathon in 2012, when Dick was 72 and Rick was 50. They had intended the 2013 marathon to be their final one, but due to the Boston Marathon bombing, they were stopped a mile short of completing their run, and decided to run one more marathon the following year. They completed the 2014 marathon on April 21, 2014, having previously announced that it would be their last.{{cite web|url=http://www.masslive.com/news/boston/index.ssf/2014/04/team_hoyt_-_father_and_son_dic.html|title=Team Hoyt – father and son Dick and Rick Hoyt – finish final Boston Marathon|date=April 21, 2014|website=MassLive.com|agency=AP|access-date=April 22, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140426223103/http://www.masslive.com/news/boston/index.ssf/2014/04/team_hoyt_-_father_and_son_dic.html|archive-date=April 26, 2014|url-status=live}} In tribute to his connection with the race, Dick was named the Grand Marshal of the 2015 marathon. He died in 2021, aged 80.{{Cite web|last=Butler|first=Sarah Lorge|date=March 17, 2021|title=Dick Hoyt, Part of Legendary Boston Marathon Duo, Dies at 80|url=https://www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/a35866273/dick-hoyt-legendary-boston-runner-dies-80/|access-date=March 18, 2021|website=Runner's World|language=en-US|archive-date=July 26, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220726144939/https://www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/a35866273/dick-hoyt-legendary-boston-runner-dies-80/|url-status=live}} Rick died in May 2023.{{Cite news

|last = Andersen

|first = Travis

|url = https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/05/22/metro/rick-hoyt-obituary/

|title = Boston Marathon Legend Rick Hoyt Dies at 61

|date = May 22, 2023

|website = The Boston Globe

|url-access = limited

|language = en

|access-date = June 5, 2023

|archive-date = June 4, 2023

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230604215420/https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/05/22/metro/rick-hoyt-obituary/

|url-status = live

}}

Unlike many other races, the Boston Marathon tolerated "bandits" (runners who do not register and obtain a bib number). They used to be held back until after all the registered runners had left the starting line, and then were released in an unofficial fourth wave. They were generally not pulled off the course and mostly allowed to cross the finish line. For decades, these unofficial runners were treated like local folk heroes, celebrated for their endurance and spunk for entering a contest with the world's most accomplished athletes.[https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/columns/2014/04/19/missing-from-this-years-marathon-those-lovable-bandits/XHb0yyIHECNtUBdxCCwqgO/story.html "Marathon bandits will be missed this year"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160513231733/https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/columns/2014/04/19/missing-from-this-years-marathon-those-lovable-bandits/XHb0yyIHECNtUBdxCCwqgO/story.html |date=May 13, 2016 }}, The Boston Globe. Boston Marathon race director Dave McGillivray was once a teenage bandit.[http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2011/04/17/boston_marathon_race_director_puts_in_a_long_long_race_day/ "Running Last, But Not Least"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141225012036/http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2011/04/17/boston_marathon_race_director_puts_in_a_long_long_race_day/ |date=December 25, 2014 }},The Boston Globe.

Given the increased field that was expected for the 2014 Marathon, however, organizers planned "more than ever" to discourage bandits from running. As of September 2015 the B.A.A. website states:

Q: Can I run in the Boston Marathon as an unofficial or "bandit" runner?

A: No, please do NOT run if you have not been officially entered in the race. Race amenities along the course and at the finish, such as fluids, medical care, and traffic safety, are provided based on the number of expected official entrants. Any addition to this by way of unofficial participants, adversely affects our ability to ensure a safe race for everyone.{{cite web|url=http://www.baa.org/faq.aspx?keyword=Can%20I%20run%C2%A0in%20the%20Boston%20Marathon%20as%20an%20unofficial%20or%20%22bandit%22%20runner|title=Frequently Asked Questions|publisher=Boston Athletic Association|access-date=September 3, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923181303/http://www.baa.org/faq.aspx?keyword=Can%20I%20run%C2%A0in%20the%20Boston%20Marathon%20as%20an%20unofficial%20or%20%22bandit%22%20runner|archive-date=September 23, 2015|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}

A number of people choose to run the course in a variety of costumes each year. During the 100th running in 1996, one runner wore a scale model of the Old North Church steeple on his back. Old North Church is where the signal was lit that set Paul Revere off on his midnight ride, which is commemorated each year on the same day as the Marathon. During the 2014 marathon, runners and spectators were discouraged from wearing "costumes covering the face or any non-form fitting, bulky outfits extending beyond the perimeter of the body," for security reasons following the 2013 bombing. However, state authorities and the Boston Athletic Association did not outright ban such costumes.[http://www.runnersworld.com/boston-marathon/fans-can-expect-some-changes-at-boston-marathon?page=single "Fans Can Expect Some Changes at Boston Marathon"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141225012307/http://www.runnersworld.com/boston-marathon/fans-can-expect-some-changes-at-boston-marathon?page=single|date=December 25, 2014}}, Runner's World.

File:Ondekoza member Marco Lienhard playing Taiko at finish line of the Boston Marathon upon completing the run.jpg after finishing the marathon]]

Starting in 1975, members of Ondekoza, a group from Japan, would run the marathon and right after finishing the race would start playing their taiko drums at the finish line.{{cite news |work=New York Times |last=Hughes |first=Alan |title=The Fierce Dedication of The ‘Demon’ Drummers |date=30 April 1978 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1978/04/30/archives/the-fierce-dedication-of-the-demon-drummers-demon-drummers.html |accessdate=31 December 2024 }}{{cite news |work=Boston Globe |last=Fitzgerald |first=Ray |title=These Japanese run with rhythm |date=19 April 1975}}{{cite news |work=Boston Globe |last=Wald |first=Elijah |title=Ondekoza, Not Your Humdrum Drummers |date=12 December 1994}}{{Cite news |last=Gilbert |first=Andrew |date=2011-03-13 |title=Drumming up drama |work=Boston.com |url=http://archive.boston.com/ae/music/articles/2011/03/13/the_taiko_group_kodo_drums_up_drama/ |access-date=2023-03-10 |archive-date=March 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230310174930/http://archive.boston.com/ae/music/articles/2011/03/13/the_taiko_group_kodo_drums_up_drama/ |url-status=live }} They repeated the tradition several times in the 1970s and 1990s.{{cite news |work=Boston Globe |last=Taylor |first=Robert |title=Drum-beating, flute-playing marathoners in lively show |date=11 May 1976}}{{cite news |work=Boston Globe |last=Concannon |first=Joe |title=Just a little warm-up:360-mile relay race |date=17 April 1977}}{{cite news |work=Boston Globe |author= |title=Calendar |date=10 April 1980}}{{cite news |work=Boston Globe |author= |title=Calendar Choice |date=23 April 1987}} The {{convert|700|lb|kg|adj=on}} drum would be set up at the finish line to encourage runners finishing the marathon. Bill Rodgers, who inspired member's running, was a guest on Sado Island and ran marathons in Japan with Ondekoza members.{{cite news |work=Boston Globe |last=Wald |first=Elijah |title=Ondekoza: Japan's Demon Drummers |date=10 January 1993}} The group also ran the New York City Marathon and Los Angeles Marathon, and ran {{convert|10000|mi|km}} of the perimeter of the United States from 1990 to 1993.{{cite news |work=New York Times |last=Longman |first=Jere |title=NEW YORK CITY MARATHON; After 9,319-Mile Run, 26.2 Should Be a Mere Stroll |date=10 November 1993 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/11/10/sports/new-york-city-marathon-after-9319-mile-run-26.2-should-be-a-mere-stroll.html |accessdate=31 December 2024}}{{cite news |work=Modesto Bee |last=Gaffney |first=Jim |title=New York Marathon Sets a First |date=4 November 1990}}

• List of winners of the Boston Marathon
• List of marathon races in North America
• The Sports Museum (at TD Garden)

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|archive-date=June 28, 2011

|url-status=live

}}

{{cite web

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|title=Event Information: Spectator Information

|publisher=Boston Athletic Association

|access-date=April 16, 2013

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150406084937/http://216.235.243.43/races/boston-marathon/event-information/spectator-information.aspx

|archive-date=April 6, 2015

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}}

{{cite news

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|title=Runners who didn't finish Boston Marathon due to bombings to get automatic entry in 2014

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|archive-date=June 10, 2013

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}}

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|date=March 7, 2011

|access-date=April 16, 2013

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161021110444/http://216.235.243.43/news-and-press/news-listing/2011/march/new-start-structure-for-2011-boston-marathon.aspx

|archive-date=October 21, 2016

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{{cite web

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|title=Boston Course Tips

|publisher=Rodale Inc.

|date=March 14, 2007

|access-date=April 16, 2013

|archive-date=February 18, 2023

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230218131147/https://www.runnersworld.com/races-places/a20790076/boston-marathon-course-tips-for-runners/

|url-status=live

}}

{{cite news

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|title=Time lapse video of 2008 marathon start

|work=The Boston Globe

|date=March 1, 2011

|access-date=April 14, 2011

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102155849/http://www.boston.com/video/viral_page/?%2Fservices%2Fplayer%2Fbcpid6936117001&bclid=1497991385&bctid=20229297001

|archive-date=November 2, 2012

|url-status=dead

}}

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}}

{{cite web

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{{cite web

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|archive-date=July 3, 2013

|df=mdy-all

}}

{{cite web

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}}{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

{{cite news

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|title = Fleet of Foot and Blissfully Bold, Freeloaders at the Marathon Wear Fake Bibs—but Win No Prizes

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|archive-date = February 8, 2016

|url-status = dead

|df = mdy-all

}}

}}

• History of the Boston Marathon, Boston Marathon: The First Century of the World's Premier Running Event, by Tom Derderian, Human Kinetics Publishers, 1996, 634 pages, {{ISBN|0-88011-479-7}}
• Boston Marathon, updated third edition, by Tom Derderian 2017, 827 pages. {{ISBN|978-1-5107-2428-0}}, EBook, 978-1-5107-2429-7

{{Commons category|Boston Marathon}}

{{wikinews category}}

{{Attached KML}}

• {{Official website}}
• [http://www.arcadiapublishing.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=0738563501&Store_Code=arcadia&search=boston+marathon&offset=0&filter_cat=&PowerSearch_Begin_Only=&sort=name.asc&range_low=&range_high=%20%26srch_name%3D1 History of the Boston Marathon]{{Dead link|date=October 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
• {{mg-race|id=15070416|race=Boston Marathon}}
• [http://www.raceboston.com Boston Marathon: What to Expect on Race Day]
• [http://findmymarathon.com/pacebandresult.php?race=Boston%20Marathon Boston Marathon Course Pace Band]
• [http://www.findmymarathon.com/weather-detail.php?zname=Boston%20Marathon Weather history]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20140424015722/http://216.235.243.43/races/boston-marathon/event-information/course-map.aspx Course map and elevation]
• [http://findmymarathon.com/elevation.php?elevation=Boston%20Marathon Course elevation]
• [http://www.runningpast.com/baa1918relay.htm The 1918 Boston Marathon Military Relay]

• [http://jimrhoades.com/05/boston/ Boston Marathon Photos-2005]
• [http://raymondbritt.smugmug.com/Boston-Marathon Boston Marathon Course Photos: Runner's View from Start to Finish]

{{Boston Marathon}}

{{Boston Athletic Association}}

{{Boston, Massachusetts}}

{{World Marathon Majors}}

{{IAAF Gold Label}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1897 establishments in Massachusetts

Category:Annual events in Boston

Category:Annual sporting events in the United States

Category:April in sports

Category:Marathons in the United States

Category:Recurring sporting events established in 1897

Category:World Marathon Majors

Category:Wheelchair marathons

Category:Handcycling competitions