The 121st running of the Boston Marathon is scheduled for Monday April 17th, 2017. We felt it appropriate to share some fun and interesting trivia facts about the Boston Marathon. We have compilled a long list of Boston Marathon trivia and we are back with more Boston Marathon trivia! Here is our post about Boston Marathon trivia firsts in case you missed it…
1. Heartbreak Hill and only has a elevation gain of 88 feet from the base of the hill to the top.
But it is right after mile 20 of the race when most marathon runners are hitting the “glycogen wall” and bonking anyways.
2. Heartbreak Hill is not the highest point of the marathon race course.
The start line in Hopkinton is 490 feet above sea level and the top of Heartbreak Hill is 236 feet. The first several miles of the Boston Marathon have a decline that causes less-experienced marathoners to go out too fast and fade later in the race.
3. Boston Marathon is held on a Monday in April since 1969.
Before 1969, the race was always run on April 19th.
Why?
Because the third month in April (and previously April 19th) is the “Patriots’ Day” state holiday in Massachusetts (and Maine).
Don’t remember Patriots’ Day from high school history class? It celebrates the midnight ride of Paul Revere (and Samuel Prescott and William Dawes) to warn the local colonialists about the British troops marching on Concord and Lexington and the first battles of the American Revolutionary War.
4. The Boston Marathon is the oldest continually run marathon in the world.
The first Boston Marathon was run in 1897, just one year after the first modern marathon was run in the 1896 Athens Olympic Games.
5. From 1897 until 1921, the official distance of the Boston Marathon was only 24.8 miles.
In 1924 the course was lengthened to the standard 26.2 or 26 miles and 385 yards.
6. You can’t set an official World Record on Boston Marathon course
Because of there is a loss of elevation from the start to finish lines of 477 feet which is outside the IAAFs requirements of 1m elevation change per 1 km – 42 m or just over 137 feet) there can’t be an official World Record set at Boston.
7. Oldest Boston Marathon finisher?
Katherine Beiers at 83 years young in 2016 with a time of 5:44:53
8. The Boston Marathon used to have a noon start until 2006.
9. The Boston Red Sox play a home morning game every Boston Marathon Day/ Patriots Day since 1968.
Which meant that Red Sox fans would be leaving Fenway Park just as most of the marathon runners reached Kenmore Square and Mile But, Boston professional baseball teams (The Boston Beaneaters (now the Atlanta Braves) and the Boston Americans (now the Red Sox) have been playing home games in Boston on Patriots’ Day. since 1903, even before Fenway Park was built in 1912.
10. In 1918, the Boston Marathon was run as a military relay race with 10 runners on each team.
The team from Fort Devens (Mass.) Army Base took first place
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