Lauren HollandBy Lauren Holland

Updated November 2026

The first Boston Marathon was held on April 19, 1897, in Massachusetts, making it the oldest annual marathon in the world that still runs every year. Fifteen men started that day, and 10 of them finished. The race was inspired by the 1896 Athens Olympics and was organized by the Boston Athletic Association.

Why the First Boston Marathon Happened in 1897

The Boston Marathon grew out of the excitement that followed the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. The marathon event in Athens, won by Spyridon Louis, captured public attention across the world, and American runners wanted a comparable race at home. The Boston Athletic Association, a club founded in 1887, took on the idea and set the event for Patriots’ Day, a Massachusetts state holiday that commemorates the battles of Lexington and Concord in 1775.

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Patriots’ Day remains the race’s date to this day, which is why the Boston Marathon is typically held on the third Monday in April. The choice of a regional holiday gave the event a local identity from its very first year.

The Factors Behind the 1897 Race

Several details shaped that original race, and they help explain why it looks so different from the event runners know today.

  • The distance was not yet standardized. The modern 26.2-mile marathon distance was fixed after the 1908 London Olympics. The 1897 Boston course was roughly 24.5 miles, measured from Metcalf’s Farm in Ashland to the Irvington Oval in Boston.
  • The field was tiny. Fifteen starters is a small number compared with the tens of thousands who now enter each year.
  • The course was run on public roads. Runners shared the route with carriages, bicycles and pedestrians, and water stops were limited.
  • Prize money and sponsorship were modest. The event was a community and athletic club project rather than a large commercial operation.

John J. McDermott of New York won that first race in a time of 2 hours, 55 minutes and 10 seconds. The winning time is recorded in official Boston Athletic Association history, and it is a useful reference point for anyone curious about how the sport has changed since.

How to Learn More About the Race’s History

If you want to verify details about the first Boston Marathon, a few steps will help you find reliable information rather than relying on secondhand summaries.

  1. Start with the official Boston Athletic Association website, which maintains race records and historical materials.
  2. Check the race results archive, which lists finishers, times and placings by year.
  3. Look for contemporary newspaper coverage from April 1897 through digitized archives at public libraries.
  4. Compare any claim against at least two independent sources, since older accounts sometimes disagree on minor details like course length or start location.

Practical Tips for Running Boston Today

  • Qualifying standards are tied to age and gender, and the bar changes from year to year, so check the current requirements before planning.
  • The course includes the famous Newton hills, which are best approached with conservative pacing in the first half.
  • Training with a long run at goal pace in the final weeks of a build helps you prepare for the late-race demands of the course.

For more on early marathon history and its milestones, see First Woman to Run in Boston Marathon: Who Was She and When? and First Boston Marathon Winning Time: Records, Course Factors and Results. Readers curious about the sport’s origins may also find Who Ran the First Marathon? The 490 BC Story Explained useful.

Who won the first Boston Marathon?

John J. McDermott of New York won the inaugural race in 1897 with a time of 2 hours, 55 minutes and 10 seconds.

How long was the first Boston Marathon?

The first race covered roughly 24.5 miles. The standard 26.2-mile marathon distance was adopted later, after the 1908 London Olympics.

Why is the Boston Marathon held on Patriots’ Day?

The race was scheduled for Patriots’ Day, a Massachusetts holiday marking the start of the American Revolution, and that tradition has continued since 1897.

How many people ran the first Boston Marathon?

Fifteen runners started the 1897 race, and 10 of them finished.

Is the Boston Marathon the oldest marathon?

It is the oldest annual marathon in the world and has been held every year since 1897, though some earlier marathon-distance races existed in other forms.

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Lauren Holland

About Lauren Holland

Lauren Holland is part of our editorial team and reviews and edits our marathon & half-marathon guides, checking product details against manufacturer specifications and owner feedback.