The Boston Marathon

The Boston Marathon is coming up fast. It’s will take place this Sunday, April 16, 2007. If you’re headed to Boston for business on Monday, it might be worth your while to head up a day early and watch one of the most well known marathons in the United States unfold.

The start times are: Push Rim Wheelchair Start: 9:25 a.m.; Elite Women Start: 9:35 a.m.; Elite Men & Wave 1 Start: 10:00 a.m.; Wave 2 Start: 10:30 a.m.

Here is a little marathon trivia from the website: The 1896 Olympic marathon distance of 24.8 miles was based on the distance run, according to famous Greek legend, in which the Greek foot-soldier Pheidippides was sent from the plains of Marathon to Athens with the news of the astounding victory over a superior Persian army. Exhausted as he approached the leaders of the City of Athens, he staggered and gasped, “Rejoice! We Conquer!” and then collapsed.

The marathon distance was later changed as a result of the 1908 Olympic Games in London. That year, King Edward VII and Queen Alexandria wanted the marathon race to begin at Windsor Castle outside the city so that the Royal family could view the start. The distance between the castle and the Olympic Stadium in London proved to be 26 miles. Organizers added extra yards to the finish around a track, 385 to be exact, so the runners would finish in front of the king and queen’s royal box. Every Olympic marathon run since the 1908 Games has been a distance of 26 miles, 385 yards. Interesting.