The early Boston Marathon start line circa 1912

First Boston Marathon - 1897

The inaugural Boston Marathon—then called the American Marathon—was run on April 19, 1897, from Ashland to Boston, with 15 starters and only 10 finishers. Little did any of the founding B.A.A. members know that they’d be starting the oldest annual marathon footrace.

The original eighth-place medal and stopwatch awarded to Lawrence Brignolia from the first Boston Marathon in 1897.

Military Relay - 1918

Due to U.S. involvement in World War I, the Boston Marathon changed its format for the first time in history. In lieu of the traditional footrace, a 10-man relay was held featuring teams from various branches of the military.

"The boys ran in uniform, heavy shoes and all," the New York Times chronicled at the time, "and were cheered by thousands of spectators along the route."

Move to 26.2 - 1924

The 28th edition featured a lengthened racecourse to comply with the Olympic Marathon distance of 26.2 miles. This shifted the start line from Ashland to Hopkinton, where it remains to this day.