Boston Marathon - Citizendia

Boston Marathon
The Boston Marathon Logo
Date and location	April Boston, USA
Race type	Road
Distance	Marathon
Established	1897
Official site	www.bostonmarathon.org

The 100^th running of the Boston Marathon, 1996

The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon sporting event hosted by the city of Boston, Massachusetts, on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The marathon is a long-distance foot race with an official distance of 42 Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) The marathon is a long-distance foot race with an official distance of 42 The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. Patriots' Day (sometimes spelled Patriot's Day or Patriots Day) is a Civic holiday commemorating the anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord Begun in 1897 and inspired by the success of the first modern-day marathon competition in the 1896 Summer Olympics, the Boston Marathon is the world's oldest annual marathon and ranks as one of the world's most well-known road racing events. Year 1897 ( MDCCCXCVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common The 1896 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the I Olympiad, were an International The marathon is one of five members of the World Marathon Majors. The World Marathon Majors is a championship-style competition that started in 2006

Today, the Boston Athletic Association (B. The Boston Athletic Association is a Non-profit, organized sports association for the city of Boston Massachusetts. A. A. ) manages this event. Amateur and professional runners from all over the world compete in the Boston Marathon each year, braving the hilly New England terrain and varying weather to take part in the race. History See also History of New England New England's earliest inhabitants were Algonquian -speaking Native Americans including the The weather is a set of all the phenomena occurring in a given Atmosphere at a given Time.

The event attracts an average of about 20,000 registered participants each year. In the 100^th running of the Boston Marathon in 1996, the number of participants reached 38,000. Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) While there are cash prizes awarded to the winners of the marathon, most of the runners participate for the accomplishment of having run the race at all. Cash usually refers to Money in the form of Currency, such as Banknotes and Coins In Bookkeeping and Finance, A prize is an Award given to a person or a group of people to recognise and reward actions or achievements

History

See also: List of winners of the Boston Marathon

Boston Marathon Finish Line, 1910. This page lists the winners of the Boston Marathon, which has been running continuously since 1897 and is the oldest annual Marathon in the world

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. The Olive ( Olea europaea) is a Species of small Tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of the eastern However, corporate-sponsored cash prizes began to be awarded in the 1980s, when professional athletes began to refuse to run the race without cash awards. A corporation is a separate legal entity usually used to conduct business The 1980s was the decade spanning from January 1 1980 to December 31 1989. The first cash prize for winning the marathon was awarded in 1986. Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar)

Women were not allowed to enter the Boston Marathon officially until 1972. Year 1972 ( MCMLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Roberta (Bobbi) Gibb is recognized as the first woman to run the entire Boston Marathon (in 1966). Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. In 1967, Kathrine Switzer, who had registered as "K. Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. Kathrine Switzer is the first woman to run the Boston Marathon as a numbered entry V. Switzer", was the first woman to run with a race number. She finished, despite a celebrated incident in which race official Jock Semple tried to rip off her numbers and eject her from the race. ^[1] In 1996 the B. Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) A. A. retroactively recognized as champions the unofficial women's leaders of 1966 through 1971. Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar.

In recent years, critics have pointed to the dominance of foreign-born athletes in the event (especially runners from Kenya) to back their arguments that American professional running is lagging behind the rest of the world in terms of producing quality athletes. The Republic of Kenya is a country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia to the north Somalia to the northeast Tanzania to the south However, foreign dominance of the race is nothing new. Between 1946 and 1967 only one American (John J. Kelley in 1957) won the marathon in an era when Finland and Japan were the distance powerhouses. John Joseph Kelley (b December 24, 1930 in Norwich CT) was the winner of the 1957 Boston Marathon and the marathon at the 1959

Race

Qualifying

The Boston marathon is open to all runners, male and female, from any nation, but they must meet certain qualifying standards. Male (♂ refers to the sex of an organism or part of an organism which produces small mobile Gametes called spermatozoa. Female (♀ is the Sex of an Organism, or a part of an organism which produces ova (egg cells A nation is a Human Cultural and Social Community. In as much as most members never meet each other yet feel a common bond it may be considered ^[2] To qualify, a runner must first complete a standard marathon course certified by a national governing body affiliated with the International Association of Athletics Federations within a certain period of time before the date of the desired Boston Marathon (usually within approximately 18 months prior). The marathon is a long-distance foot race with an official distance of 42 The International Association of Athletics Federations ( IAAF) is the international governing body for the sport of athletics. Prospective runners in the age range of 18–34 must run a time of no more than 3:10:59 (3 hours and 10 minutes) if male, or 3:40:59 (3 hours and 40 minutes) if female; the qualifying time is adjusted upward as age increases. For example, a 40–44 year old male can still qualify with a time of 3:20:59. An exception to the qualification requirement is awarded to 1,250 runners who raise a pre-determined level of sponsorship for officially designated local charities.

Besides the Olympic trials and the Olympic marathons, Boston is the only major American marathon that requires a qualifying time. Thus for many marathoners to qualify for Boston (to "BQ") is a goal and achievement in itself, making it a "people's Olympic event. "

In the 1980s and 1990s, membership in USA Track & Field was required of all runners, but this requirement was eliminated. USA Track & Field ( USATF) is the national governing body for the sport of track and field (or 'athletics' in the United States.

Race day

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. Patriots' Day (sometimes spelled Patriot's Day or Patriots Day) is a Civic holiday commemorating the anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord Starting in 1969, 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. "

Start time

Through 2005, the race began at noon, (wheelchair race began at 11:25 a. Noon (also midday) is the hour of 1200 in an observer's local time zone or more loosely a time near the middle of the day when workers in many countries take a meal break A wheelchair is a wheeled Mobility device in which the user sits m. , and the elite women at 11:31 a. m. ) at the official starting point in Hopkinton, Massachusetts. Hopkinton is best known as the starting point of the Boston Marathon, held annually on Patriot's Day in April and as the home of computer storage firm EMC Corporation Beginning with the 2006 event, the race has used a staggered "wave start," where (in 2006) 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. Beginning in 2007 the starting times for the race were moved to 10:00 a. m. and 10:30 a. m. for the two wave starts, with the wheelchair and elite women's divisions starting at 9:25 a. m. and 9:35 a. m. , respectively. These changes were made primarily because of the runners' desire to begin the race earlier to take advantage of cooler temperatures, though another added benefit is that many roads along the course can reopen to traffic earlier in the day. ^[3]

Course

The course runs through 26. 22 miles (42. A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States 195 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 kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand A road is an identifiable route, way or path between two or more places. Route 135 is an east-west state highway in Massachusetts, running from U Route 16 is an east-west State highway in Massachusetts. Much of Route 16 is a multi-lane Parkway, although it is not limited access for any significant Route 30 is an east-west arterial connecting Grafton with Packard's Corner in Boston. Copley Square named for the American portraitist John Singleton Copley (1738 &ndash 1815 is a public square located in the Back Bay neighborhood of The Boston Public Library is the largest municipal public library in the United States. For this reason, the MBTA suspends service to the Copley Square stop for the day, and runs increased service to the area. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority ( MBTA) is "a body politic and corporate and a political subdivision" of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Copley is a stop along the Green Line subway of the MBTA in Boston Massachusetts.

The Boston Marathon is considered to be one of the more difficult marathon courses because of the Newton, Massachusetts hills, which culminate in Heartbreak Hill near Boston College. The City of Newton in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, is an important residential Suburb of Boston, which abuts it on the east For similarly-named academic institutions see Education in Boston MA. 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, is regarded by Dave McGillivray, the 2007 race director, as the course’s most difficult challenge. Commonwealth Avenue (colloquially referred to as Comm Ave by locals the latter word pronounced in the same manner as "have" is a major street in the cities of The Charles River is a small relatively short River in Massachusetts, USA, that separates Boston from Cambridge and ^[4]^[5] Coming immediately after a 150 foot drop in half a mile, it has forced many lesser-trained runners to a walk.

Heartbreak Hill

Heartbreak Hill is an ascent over 0. 4 mile (600 m) of the Boston Marathon course, between the 20 and 21 mile marks, in the vicinity of Boston College. A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States For similarly-named academic institutions see Education in Boston MA. It is the last of four "Newton hills", which begin at the 16 mile mark. The City of Newton in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, is an important residential Suburb of Boston, which abuts it on the east The Newton hills confound contestants (out of proportion to their modest elevation gain) by forcing a late climb after the downhill trend of the race to that point. Heartbreak Hill itself rises only 88 vertical feet (27 m), from an elevation of 148 feet at the bottom to an elevation of 236 feet at the top,^[6] but is positioned at a point on a marathon course where muscle glycogen stores are likely to be depleted—a phenomenon referred to by marathoners as "hitting the wall. Glycogen is a Polysaccharide of Glucose (Glc which functions as the secondary short term energy storage in Animal cells "

The nickname "Heartbreak Hill" originated with an event in the 1936 race. On this stretch, defending champion John A. Kelley caught race leader Ellison "Tarzan" Brown, giving Brown a consolatory pat on the shoulder as he passed. Johnny Kelley ( John Adelbert Kelley September 6, 1907 &ndash October 6, 2004) was an American long-distance runner Ellison Myers Brown ( September 22, 1914 - August 23, 1975) widely known as Tarzan Brown, was a two-time winner of the Boston His competitive drive apparently stoked by this gesture, Tarzan Brown rallied, pulled away from Kelley, and went on to win—in the words of Boston Globe reporter Jerry Nason, "breaking Kelley's heart. "^[7]

Records

Current course records, as of 2008, are 2:07:14 and 2:20:43 for men's open and women's open, respectively.

Only three times have world record times for marathon running been set in Boston. A world record is the best performance in a certain discipline usually a Sports event In 1947, the men's record time set was 2:25:39, by Suh Yun-Bok of South Korea. Year 1947 ( MCMXLVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Suh Yun-bok (born January 9, 1923) is a former South Korean athlete who is best known as the winner of the 1947 Boston Marathon. South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea and often referred to as Korea ( Korean: 대한민국 tɛː In 1975, a women's world record of 2:42:24 was set by Liane Winter of West Germany, while Joan Benoit Samuelson of the United States set a world record time of 2:22:43 in 1983. Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. West Germany ( Inf German: Westdeutschland or West-Deutschland) was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany ( Joan Benoit Samuelson (born May 16, 1957) is an American marathon runner who won gold at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) Ironically, the course is now considered invalid for international records because the finish is substantially lower in elevation than the start. ^[8]

The race's organizers keep a standard time clock for all entries, though official timekeeping ceases after the six hour mark.

Spectators

Spectators watching the 2006 Boston Marathon

With approximately 500,000 spectators, the Boston marathon is New England's most widely-viewed sporting event. History See also History of New England New England's earliest inhabitants were Algonquian -speaking Native Americans including the ^[9] More than 1,100 media members from over 250 outlets were expected to receive media credentials in 2006.

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 any of the runners. The crowds are even more encouraging for the amateur runners and first time runners. At Wellesley College, located in the 13th mile, it is tradition for the students to cheer on the runners in what is referred to as the "scream tunnel. Wellesley College is a women's liberal arts college, in Wellesley Massachusetts, that opened in 1875 founded by Henry Fowle Durant " Classes are canceled for the marathon and the students celebrate with music, food, and games.

Every year, the Boston Red Sox play a home game at Fenway Park, starting at 11:05 a. The Boston Red Sox are a Professional baseball team based in Boston Massachusetts, and are the reigning (2007 World Series Champions. m. (10:05 a. m. starting in 2007) When the game ends, the crowd empties into Kenmore Square to cheer as the runners enter the final mile. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Kenmore Square is a square in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, consisting of the intersection of several main avenues (including In 2007, the game between the Red Sox and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim was delayed until 12:05 p. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California. m. due to heavy rain. The marathon, which had previously been run in a wide variety of weather conditions, was not delayed. This tradition started in 1903. In the 1940s the Red Sox and the Boston Braves (now Atlanta Braves) would alternate yearly as to which team would play the morning game.

The B. A. A.

Main article: Boston Athletic Association

The Boston Athletic Association is a non-profit, organized sports association that organizes the Boston Marathon and other events. The Boston Athletic Association is a Non-profit, organized sports association for the city of Boston Massachusetts. A non-profit organization ( abbreviated "NPO" also "not-for-profit" is a legally constituted Organization whose objective is to support or engage

Among the nation's oldest athletic clubs, the Boston Athletic Association was established on March 15, 1887 under its first president, Robert F. Clark, and with the support of George Walker Weld and other leading sports enthusiasts, entrepreneurs and politicians of the day. George Walker Weld (1840-1905 youngest son of William Fletcher Weld and member of the Weld Family of Boston, was a founding member of the Boston The B. A. A. is now headquartered at 40 Trinity Place. It relies on the support of John Hancock Financial Services Inc. and other sponsors and contributors not only with its signature event, the Boston Marathon, but also in its year-round community programming.

Divisions

The Boston Marathon does not only offer running divisions for both men and women. In 1975, a tradition of offering racing opportunities to those with disabilities and impairments began when one wheelchair racer decided to take the challenge and complete the entire distance of the marathon. Since then, three new divisions have emerged, including a push rim wheelchair division, a visually impaired/blind division, and a mobility impaired division. Similar to the running divisions, a set of realistic qualifying times has been developed for these divisions to ensure the continuation of competitive excellence for which the Boston Marathon is so widely acclaimed. In 1986, the Boston Athletic Association, which is responsible for running the event, introduced prize money into the push rim wheelchair division and made this purse the highest purse in the history of the sport. To date, more than 1,000 people with different disabilities and impairments have participated in the wheelchair division, with the other divisions gaining popularity each year. The wheelchair division frequently gains a great deal of national and international attention considering the performances in the Boston Marathon are often record-breaking performances that demonstrate the continued evolution and advancement in the sport.

Notable events and controversies

Dick and Rick Hoyt

One of the most recognized duos each year at the Boston Marathon is Dick and Rick Hoyt. Team Hoyt is a father (Dick Hoyt and son (Rick Hoyt b 1962) in Massachusetts who compete together in Marathons, Triathlons, and other athletic Dick is the father of Rick, who has cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy ( CP) is an Umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non- contagious conditions that cause Physical disability While doctors originally said he would never have a shot at a normal life and thought that institutionalizing Rick was the best option, Dick and his wife disagreed and raised him like an ordinary child. Eventually a computer device was developed that helped Rick communicate with his family and the family learned of one of his biggest passions: sports. Eventually Dick and Rick started competing in charity runs, with Dick pushing Rick in a wheelchair. The father and son began to enjoy racing so much that they started entering marathons and even triathlons, with Dick towing Rick in a little boat during the swim and carrying him on the front of his bike during the cycling portion. A triathlon is an endurance sports event consisting of Swimming, cycling and Running over various distances Dick and Rick have competed in 65 marathons and 224 triathlons (as of January 2008) and finish with competitive times, often faster than 90% of the pack. Their top marathon finish was an astonishing 2:40:47, a time unattainable for most average marathoners. The team completed their 26th Boston Marathon in 2008, when Dick was 67 and Rick (b. 1962) was approx. 46. When asked about their motivation to continue racing, they both say that they hope to prove to people all over the world that disabled individuals should not be left in the corner and forgotten about, but rather included so that they can have the life experiences others are so lucky to have. ^[10]

Rosie Ruiz scandal

Scandal came to the Boston Marathon in 1980 when amateur runner Rosie Ruiz came from out of nowhere to win the women's race. A scandal is a widely Publicized incident that involves Allegations of wrongdoing, disgrace or moral outrage Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit study or science without formal training or pay Rosie Ruiz Vivas (born 1953 Havana Cuba) is a famous Cuban American Marathon runner who on April 21, 1980 ostensibly came in as the first place Marathon officials became suspicious when it was found Ruiz didn't appear in race videotapes until near the end of the race. A subsequent investigation concluded (though Ruiz never admitted to cheating) that Ruiz had skipped most of the race and blended into the crowd about one mile from the finish line, where she then ran to her apparent victory. Ruiz was officially disqualified, and the winner was proclaimed to be Canadian Jacqueline Gareau

Death

2002 - Cynthia Lucero, 28

References

^ NPR: Marathon Women
^ Qualifying for the marathon
^ BAA News Release about earlier start time for 2007 race
^ Connelly, Michael: "26 Miles to Boston", pp. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Jacqueline Gareau (born March 10, 1953 in L'Annonciation Quebec) is a Canadian runner who won the See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. 105-06. Parnassus Imprints, 1998
^ Boston Course Tips
^ Boston Marathon Official Program, April 2005, p. 68
^ The ultimate guide to the Boston marathon (Blog)
^ USATF Rule 265(5)(a)
^ B.A.A. Boston Marathon Race Facts. Boston Athletic Association. Retrieved on 2008-04-21. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 753 BC - Romulus and Remus found Rome ( traditional date)
^ Team Hoyt Homepage

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