Boston Marathon
A guide to resources about the Marathon available at the BPL and beyond.
Click on images to see full-size
Photo by Henry Scannell
Photo by Henry Scannell
General History
- The 13 Most Important Boston MarathonsBy Tom Derderian for Runner's World
- Boston Marathon in the United StatesFrom TimeandDate.com
- The Boston Marathon and the Nationwide Marathon CrazeLibrary of Congress, Chronicling America: American Historic Newspapers
- How Boston Helped Invent the Modern MarathonBy Erin Blakemore for TIME
The Course
The marathon runs through eight cities and towns in Eastern Massachusetts:
- Hopkinton
- Ashland
- Framingham
- Natick
- Wellesley
- Newton
- Brookline
- Boston
The 26.2 mile route begins in Hopkinton Common and ends in front of the BPL in Copley Square.
Image Credit:
Looking up Heartbreak Hill, April 2015.
- Boston Marathon Google MapFrom Boston Magazine
- Just How Bad Is Heartbreak Hill?Article by Robert James Reese & Hailey Middlebrook for Runner's World
- The History of the Boston Marathon Finish LineArticle by John Forrester for Runner's World (link opens PDF file)
Patriot's Day
- The History of the Boston Marathon: A Perfect Way to Celebrate Patriot's DayArticle by Yoni Applebaum for The Atlantic
- Patriot's Day: 5 things you should knowFrom USA Today
Women and the Marathon
- Are Women Closing in on Men at the Boston Marathon?By Alex Hutchinson for Outside Online
- How Two Women Changed Boston Marathon HistoryFrom CBS Boston
- Women on the Run: The Colorful History of Women in the Boston MarathonBy Marlo Thomas for HuffPost Women
Additional Reading
- 10 interesting questions about the Boston Marathon, answeredBy Trevor Hass for the Boston Globe
- Boston: The DocumentaryOfficial website for documentary about the Boston Marathon
- Boston Strong tribute unveiled on marathon courseArticle by Amanda Hoover for the Boston Globe
- In the Running: 1897 to 2014, BU grads who made Boston Marathon historyBy Patrick L. Kennedy for BU Today