B.A.A. Boston Marathon

Among the nation's oldest athletic clubs, the Boston Athletic Association was established on March 15, 1887. Ten years after it was established, the B.A.A. held the 24.5-mile B.A.A. Road Race to conclude the B.A.A. Games, a springtime athletic competition. The Boston Marathon, as the race would later become known, was held on April 19, 1897 with a starting field of 15 runners. Ten participants finished the inaugural run, which began in Ashland, Mass., and the race to Boston has been held in every subsequent year. In addition to its indisputable position as the world’s oldest annual marathon, “Boston” is widely regarded as one of the world’s most prestigious road races. The Boston Marathon is held on Patriots’ Day (third Monday in April). The centennial Boston Marathon was on April 15, 1996 and drew one of the world’s largest field of finishers (35,868).