The Boston Marathon

Inspired by the completion of the first modern-day marathon at the 1896 Summer Olympics, the Boston Marathon is held on Patriot’s Day, the third Monday in April, every year since 1897.

The Boston Marathon was originally established as a local event, but its prestige in the running world began to draw challengers from much farther afield, first from neighboring states, then from different parts of the globe.

The oldest and most prestigious of the major marathons, the Boston race is notable for its topographical challenges.

Where New York City Marathon runners benefit from the flatness found on the isle of Manhattan (the island was literally flattened to help accommodate for and establish the gridded street system), runners in Boston find no such circumstance, doing battle with the hilly New England terrain, and also, notably, variable weather in the Boston April.

Freezing rain and chilling winds can often blow in quickly off of the harbor, so bring your mittens.