For Boston Marathon's last 100 years, it all starts in Hopkinton
HOPKINTON, Mass. (AP) — Workers zip in and out of the tents that dot the Hopkinton Town Common, flags flutter from the gazebo, and crews assemble the platform where the starter will fire the gun to send the Boston Marathon field on its way. On race day, this otherwise sleepy New England town serendipitously located 26.2 miles from Boston will swell to three times its size.
Once a year for the last 100 years, Hopkinton becomes the center of the running world, thanks to a quirk of geography and history that made it the starting line for the world’s oldest and most prestigious annual marathon.
“It wouldn’t be the Boston Marathon without Hopkinton,” said Meb Keflezighi, who was conferred with honorary town citizenship after winning the race in 2014, the year after the finish line bombing. “As the sign says, ‘It all starts here.’”
Although the Boston Marathon was born next door in Ashland, where 15 men toed a line near Metcalf’s Mill in 1897, the start was moved to Hopkinton in 1924 to conform with a new international distance standard. With a field for the 100th anniversary that will top 30,000 runners, the town strains to absorb the crowds and yet still maintains its small-town hospitality year-round.
Related articles
Hollywood star Shia LaBeouf is spotted on the streets of Gavin and Stacey's hometown Barry
Hollywood star Shia LaBeouf has shocked onlookers after being spotted on the streets of Barry in Wal2024-05-21Missouri candidate with ties to the KKK can stay on the Republican ballot, judge rules
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A longshot Missouri gubernatorial candidat e with ties to the Ku Klux Kla2024-05-21Acosta has 1 goal, 2 assists, Cincinnati beats St. Louis 3
CINCINNATI (AP) — Luciano Acosta scored a goal and added two assists to help FC Cincinnati beat St.2024-05-21Macron hosts Xi at mountain restaurant in picturesque southern France
Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan communicate with French President Emmanuel Mac2024-05-21Kosovo prepares a new draft law on renting prison cells to Denmark after the first proposal failed
PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — Kosovo’s Cabinet renewed efforts with a new draft law on renting a prison in2024-05-21Tesla's new mega factory project in Shanghai granted construction permit
This aerial photo taken on Sept. 26, 2023 shows the Tesla Gigafactory in Lingang new area of the Chi2024-05-21
atest comment