We look at some of the memorable races and incidents during the long history of this great race.

The first race - April 19, 1897

Inspired by the 1896 Olympic marathon, Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) member and US Olympic Team Manager John Graham decided to stage a marathon in the Boston area. 

A distance of 24.5 miles from Metcalf’s Mill in Ashland to the Irvington Oval in Boston was selected and, from the 15-strong starting field (10 finished) John J. McDermott won in 2:55:10.

The Boston Marathon was originally called the American Marathon and was the final event of the B.A.A. Games.

Changing the course - 1924

The course was lengthened to 26 miles, 385 yards to conform to the Olympic standard, and the starting line was moved west from Ashland to Hopkinton.

“Heartbreak Hill” is born - 1936

The last of Newton’s hills was given the nickname “Heartbreak Hill” by Boston Globe reporter Jerry Nason. When John A. Kelley caught eventual champion Ellison “Tarzan” Brown on the Newton hills, Kelley made a friendly gesture of tapping Brown on the shoulder. Brown responded by regaining the lead on the final hill, and as Nason reported, “breaking Kelley’s heart.”

Bobbi Gibb makes her mark - 1966

Although not an official entrant, Roberta “Bobbi” Gibb became the first woman to run the Boston Marathon. Joining the starting field shortly after the gun had been fired, Gibb finished the race in 3:21:40 to place 126th overall. Gibb again claimed the “unofficial” title in 1967 and 1968.

Kathrine Switzer - 1967

By signing her entry form “K. V. Switzer,” Kathrine Switzer became the first woman to receive a number in the Boston Marathon. By her own estimate, Switzer finished in 4:20:00. In 2017, Switzer returned to Boston and ran on the 50th anniversary of her memorable 1967 race, finishing in 4:44:31. Her bib number 261 was retired in a ceremony on April 18, 2017.

It’s official for women - 1972

Women were allowed to officially run the Boston Marathon, and Nina Kuscsik emerged from an eight-member field to win the race in 3:10:26.

The duel in the sun - 1982

The 1982 Boston Marathon, known as the "Duel in the Sun," was an iconic race where Alberto Salazar narrowly defeated Dick Beardsley in 2:08:52, setting an American record and a course record under intense heat, which reached the low 70s°F. The race saw the competitors battling closely for the final miles, with Salazar surging on Commonwealth Avenue to win by just 2 seconds.

In the money - 1986

Through the generous support of principal sponsor John Hancock, prize money was awarded for the first time, and Robert de Castella of Australia earned $60,000 and a Mercedes-Benz for finishing first in a course record time of 2:07:51. On the women’s side, Ingrid Kristiansen of Norway captured her first of two Boston Marathon titles in 2:24:55. She received $39,000 and a Mercedes-Benz. (Kristiansen won her second title in 1989.)

Boston bombing – 2013

On a glorious day for racing, Ethiopia’s Lelisa Desisa and Kenya’s Rita Jeptoo ran to victories with times of 2:10:22 and 2:26:25, while Hiroyuki Yamamoto (Japan) and Tatyana McFadden (USA) won the wheelchair titles. During the afternoon, as runners were still racing toward the finish line, tragedy struck when two explosions went off in the final stretch of Boylston Street. Responding heroically, medical personnel, volunteers, law enforcement, and spectators quickly came to the aid of the many injured. Tragically, four lives were lost surrounding the explosions and attacks in Boston. In the aftermath of April 15, 2013, runners and citizens from around the globe united as one to celebrate the strength and resiliency of the community. “Boston Strong” became a rallying cry for all to gather around, exemplifying our determination to prevail stronger through adversity.

Meb’s moment of triumph - 2014

In a triumphant victory, American Mebrahtom (Meb) Keflezighi crossed the finish first on Boylston Street in a personal best of 2:08:37. Keflezighi was spurred on by the memories of those impacted by the tragic events at the 2013 Boston Marathon, becoming the first American man to win the open race since Greg Meyer in 1983.

READ MORE: We explore the magic of the Boston Marathon

Rita Jeptoo of Kenya appeared to have ran a course record of 2:18:57 to finish first, though her result was later dismissed in 2016 due to a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Thus, Buzunesh Deba was declared champion and the new course record holder thanks to her time of 2:19:59. In the men’s wheelchair division, Ernst van Dyk of South Africa won his 10th Boston Marathon title, while Tatyana McFadden of the United States retained the women’s crown.

Des and Yuki beat the weather - 2018

Prevailing in some of the worst weather conditions in race history were American Desiree Linden and Japan’s Yuki Kawauchi. Driving rain and very strong winds made it tough for all participants, yet did not stop Linden from becoming the first U.S. woman in 33 years to win the open division. Kawauchi was the first Japanese men’s champion since 1987.