Boston Marathon

Today is the Boston Marathon! The Boston Marathon is the world’s oldest annual marathon and one of the most prestigious road racing events. People from all over the world come to Boston to run and watch this historic race. Each year, more then 30,000 participants race, and more then 500,000 people attend to watch and cheer the runners on. It is the second biggest single-day sporting event in the US, only behind the Super Bowl.

The Boston Athletic Association founded the Boston Marathon in 1897. The race takes place on the 3^rd Monday of every April, which is also a holiday known as Patriot’s Day in Massachusetts and Maine. In 1975, Boston was the first major marathon to have a wheelchair division, and in 2007 it initiated a wave start. The marathon has distinguished itself as one of the top road races because of its traditions, longevity, and qualifications to enter the race. In order to run in the Boston Marathon, one must complete a different approved marathon within a certain time period, and must beat a specified time based on age and gender. Just receiving entry into the Boston Marathon is a huge honor!

Although the Boston Marathon is celebrated as a unifying and joyous event, it should also be considered a time to grieve for those who were impacted by the Boston Marathon bombings on April 15th, 2013. Please join us as we keep the families and communities that were affected by the fateful events in 2013 in our thoughts today.