October 2021

Dear Boston Marathon Participants and Friends,

On behalf of the Boston Athletic Association, principal sponsor John Hancock, and all of our sponsors and supporters, we welcome you to the City of Boston and the milestone 125th running of the Boston Marathon.

With the distinguished honor of being the oldest annually contested marathon in the world, this year's 125th running of the Boston Marathon takes on an extra-special signifificance. As 20,000 athletes embark on the Boston Marathon, we are eager to line up in Hopkinton for the fifirst time since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020. Joining from afar will be an additional 27,000 participants, covering 26.2 miles in neighborhoods around the world. Together we will all celebrate the determined spirit and resiliency of the running community.

Whether running the marathon distance on the fabled streets of Hopkinton, Ashland, Framingham, Natick, Wellesley, Newton, Brookline, and Boston, or covering the same distance at home, we welcome you with open arms into the Boston Marathon family. You are part of a distinguished new chapter in Boston Marathon history.

Runners from more than 100 countries and all 50 states aim to earn a special commemorative 125th Boston Marathon unicorn medal this year, making distinct history as the fifirst Boston Marathoners to complete the race in October. We at the Boston Athletic Association take great pride in organizing the most historic annual footrace in the world, no matter when on the calendar it's scheduled.

The 125th Boston Marathon would not be possible without the dedicated support from so many people, including our 8,500 volunteers. We also thank the many state, local, and federal officials who coordinate race and public safety efforts in the eight cities and towns along the Boston Marathon route and beyond, helping ensure a safe and successful experience for all.

Thank you for joining us on what will surely be another memorable chapter in the storied history of the Boston Marathon, and we hope to see you again in six short months at the 126th Boston Marathon in April next year.

Sincerely,

Michael P. O'Leary, M.D.

Chairman of the Board

Thomas S. Grilk

President & Chief Executive Officer

1907 Champion Thomas Longboat of the Onondaga First Nation