Boston is not known for many things except for sports. The Red Sox, the Bruins, and the Celtics are in the headlines everyday, but there is one sport that comes around every year that makes Boston a spectacle to the World - It's the Boston Marathon. Over 500,000 people come to Boston every year just to watch the runners, making this event even more popular than the Red Sox, Bruins and Celtics.
The Boston Marathon is a 42 km race that started back in 1887 with only 17 runners. This year there are 27,000 runners and over $500,000 in prize money. In 1997, when the Marathon celebrated it's Centennial birthday, over 35,000 people entered making the Boston Marathon the largest marathon in the record books.
Kenyan Magic
Geoffrey MutaiCourtesy of www.nytimes.com
The World record for the fastest times at the Boston Marathon are held by a man and women who are both from Kenya. So why are Kenyans so much faster than everybody else? They must have a secret... right? Here are their times:
- 2 hours 3 minutes and 2 seconds - Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya in 2011
- 2 hours 20 minutes and 43 seconds - Margaret Okayo of Kenya in 2002
So WHY is the Boston Marathon so Famous?
Katherine SwitzerCourtesy of http://www.npr.org/
There is a famous story of a woman in 1967, Katherine Switzer, that attempted to run the marathon disguised as a man (because women were banned from most sports in those days). As she was running the race, it was revealed that she was a woman and officials attemped to eject her, however other men participating in the race bodychecked the officials from stopping her and she made it to the finish line. The news became viral and people from all over the world began to flock to Boston every year for the event.
2013 Boston Marathon
Boston Marathon AttractionCourtesy of runlongkatie.com
This year the race is set for April 15th. The marathon draws in so many people that Boston will be partying hard on Patriots Day (a National Holiday.) Try and get a spot to watch at the finish line... Good Luck!
Have your say...
What do you think of marathons? Would you ever try to run one? Let us know in the comments section below.
