Boston is known for several different events that have come to define it. Arguably the biggest and most important is the Boston Marathon. The Boston Marathon is one of the world’s largest and most historic marathon events, bringing hundreds of thousands of spectators and participants to the streets of Boston. It is a massive global event that is incredibly important to the city of Boston, but recent years have been disruptive to the proud occasion. In 2020, the marathon was canceled. In 2021, it was moved away from its typical date. But in 2022, the Boston Marathon is returning to its normally scheduled date for the first time since the pandemic began.
The Boston Marathon first began in 1897. It began following the marathon’s success in the 1896 Summer Olympics, with 15 participants making it across the 26.2 miles. Since that time, it has grown to average around 30,000 participants every year and has become one of the world’s most recognized marathons. The Boston Marathon is one of the six World Marathon Majors, along with the Tokyo, London, Chicago, New York, and Berlin marathons.
The 2022 Boston Marathon will mark the 126th iteration of the event, making it one of the older street races in the world. The marathon takes place on Patriots’ Day, which is the third Monday of April each year. Patriots’ Day is a holiday commemorating the major battles of the Revolutionary War, and this year, it falls on April 18th. It will be a massive race, and it typically draws around 500,000 spectators to Boston, making it the biggest sporting event in the New England area.
The pandemic has induced some changes for this year’s race. The biggest one is that every athlete participating in the race must be fully vaccinated. Last year, the race had a 93% vaccination rate, but they are taking it a step further this year. Each participant will need to provide proof of vaccination before participating. Hopefully, this will help limit the spread of such a large-scale event, although spectators do not have to be vaccinated.
The Boston Marathon draws out some of the best athletes from around the world every year, with participants ranging from amateur runners to Olympic athletes looking to break new records. To be eligible to participate in the race, you must qualify according to the standards laid out by the Boston Marathon. These limit the field, so only experienced and capable marathon runners may participate.
The qualifying times differ for men and women based on age group. For 18-34-year-old men, the minimum qualifying time is an extremely competitive time of 3 hours. For women, it is a similarly grueling three and a half hours. The maximum time participants can take to qualify is 4 hours and 50 minutes for 80+ men and 5 hours and 20 minutes for 80+ women. The majority of the racers at this event are seasoned runners capable of finishing at a rapid pace.
The Boston Marathon is a massive event significant to the city’s economy. It brings in tourists and spectators from every continent and boosts revenue for the city’s hospitality industry. Hotels fill up, restaurant reservations go through the roof, and the city is better off for it. Losing this event in 2020 was a big blow to Boston, and not having it on its normally scheduled time in 2021 made it a more muted affair. But with the Boston Marathon returning to Patriots’ Day, the city is sure to rally around the momentous occasion.
The Boston Marathon is one of the world’s most significant races. It features athletes from every continent competing in one of the six World Marathon Majors, each looking to earn their place in the history books or experience the pure joy of crossing that finish line. It is an event that brings hundreds of thousands of spectators and tens of thousands of participants to the city, making it an occasion of massive importance to Boston. With an illustrious history dating back 126 years, it is an event that can’t be missed. And after two years of disruption, the Boston Marathon is returning to its rightful spot on Patriots’ Day.
