The 122nd annual Boston Marathon takes place Monday on Patriots’ Day, which is a state holiday in Massachusetts and commemorates the Battles of Lexington and Concord. Patriots’ Day typically includes an early 11:05 start for the Boston Red Sox so fans can watch runners pass Fenway Park, but the annual Sox game was canceled due to inclement weather for the first time since 1984.
The first Boston Marathon took place in 1897 with 15 runners and covered 24.5 miles. The mileage was extended in 1924 to the Olympic standard of 26.2 miles. The race is held annually on the third Monday in April and winds through eight Massachusettes towns.
The Boston Marathon took on added meaning five years ago when two brothers triggered two homemade bombs at the finish line that killed three people, injured 265 more and set off a four-day manhunt for the suspects. The response to the violent act produced the “Boston Strong” rallying cry.
The race is the world’s oldest annual marathon and one of six World Marathon Major races. This year’s event commemorates the 100thanniversary of the 1918 Boston Marathon, which was held as a relay race of military men with 10 members per team instead of the traditional footrace during World War I. The 2018 Marathon will have a ceremonial relay with pairs of service members representing each of the eight towns on the route.
Local TV coverage of the race can be viewed on the CBS-affiliate, WBZ, while those outside the Boston area can watch on NBCSN starting at 8:30 AM or catch the live stream of the event here on NBCSports.com beginning at 11 AM.
Here are the numbers you need to know about the 2018 Boston Marathon.
2:03:02: Course record for the men's division, set by Kenyan Geoffrey Mutai in 2011. Don't expect any records this year with the blistery weather conditions.
2:18:57: Course record for the women's division, set by Rita Jeptoo of Kenya in 2014. Jeptoo's record was later disqualified when she received a four-year ban for EPO use. Ethiopia's Bizunesh Deba, who finished second in 2014, was credited with the new official record of 2:19:59.
19: Number of registrations from runners 80 years old or older.
23: Sponsors for the 2018 marathon led by John Hancock Financial Services, which is in its 33rd year affiliated with the race.
33: Years since an American woman won the race. Mass.-native Shalane Flanagan is one of the favorites this year after winning the 2017 NYC Marathon.
38: Expected temperature for the 2018 race with rain and winds up to 30 miles per hour. It is likely to be coldest race in 30 years.
55%: Percentage of 2018 registrants who are men.
61: The record number of Boston Marathons started by John Kelly. He completed 58.
94: Countries (by residence) represented at the Boston Marathon.
100+: Surveillance cameras lining the course.
$185: Registration cost for U.S. entrants.
$250: Registration cost for international entrants.
424: Number of people who qualified for the race by completing at least 10 straight Boston Marathons.
1972: Year women were first officially allowed to enter the Boston Marathon. All eight female entrants finished the race with Nina Kuscsik the first to cross the finish line.
5,006: Massachusettes has the most race entrants, followed by California with 2,276. Wyoming is the least-represented state with 20 runners.
9,500: Volunteers at the race.
10,000: Participants in Saturday’s BAA 5K around the Boston Common.
28,200: Bananas available for runners.
29,978: Runners registered for Monday’s race.
$50,000: Bonus for any man or woman who sets a new marathon world record. A new Boston Marathon record nets $25,000.
$150,000: Prize money for both the men's and women's winners of the 2018 Boston Marathon. Second place gets $75,000.
500,000+: Spectators along the course.
$830,500: Total purse for the 2018 Boston Marathon.
$19.7 million: Total prize money paid by sponsor John Hancock since prize money was introduced in 1986.
$35 million: Estimated amount of money raised for the 34 charitable organizations participating in this year’s race. The Boston Marathon charity program has raised nearly $250 million since it launched in 1989.
$201 million: Projected economic impact of the 2018 Boston Marathon to the Greater Boston region, according to Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau.
