Abbott World Marathon Major—Boston (2nd of 6 in a series)
Since 2006, Abbott Corporation has sponsored a marathon series competition named World Marathon Majors. There are 6 marathons worldwide that have passed the requirements specified by Abbott to become a World Marathon Major. These marathons are (in alphabetical order): Berlin, Boston, Chicago, London, New York City, and Tokyo.
Elite athletes compete by running several of the six marathons within a year, and earning points toward the World Marathon Major competition based on individual marathon finishing results.
Amateur runners can also strive to complete the World Marathon Majors within a lifetime, as a significant marathon running accomplishment. Runners can track their progress toward this goal on the Abbott World Marathon Majors site by claiming major marathon results on-line. Upon completion of the sixth of six world major marathons, finishers get a very nice Six Star medal and certificate, and are officially added to the Abbott World Marathon Majors Six Star Finishers listing. Currently there are just over 6,000 runners worldwide who have completed all six world marathon majors.
Below are some highlights and facts about the Boston Marathon.
Race Name: Boston Marathon
Race Day: Patriot’s Day (third Monday in April)
Race Info: Boston Athletic Association
Number of Race Participants: approximately 30,000
Race Distance: 26.2 miles
General Race Course Description: point-to-point course through small towns starting in Hopkinton; rolling hills, uphill miles 17-22, slight downhill last four miles, finishing on Boylston Street in downtown Boston
Race Entry Options: time qualifying or charity only. No lottery entry or tour group entry. Current qualifying standards
Items of interest: The Boston Marathon is the oldest marathon in the world, beginning in 1897. 2021 will be the 125th consecutive running of the Boston Marathon. The Boston Marathon has been recognized throughout history as the ultimate marathon – to qualify for as an amateur runner, and to run in and win as an elite pro athlete. The city of Boston takes such pride in the race, and there are several fun, excellent events, stories, and historical accounts surrounding the race each year. Almost every distance runner aspires to run Boston one day.
An outstanding documentary on the Boston Marathon called Boston: The Documentary provides a nice overview of the race history and fascinating stories from the race’s beginning, up through recent running of the race.
Happy Running!