The Boston Marathon needs no introduction to runners. It is one of the world’s oldest sporting events held on Patriots’ Day, the third Monday of April every year. Now, with the 126th Marathon scheduled to be held on April 18th 2022, let us know about this historic road race in detail.
Boston Marathon brief history
We all know the origin story of the Marathon event, right?
Similarly, the event has a long history, to begin with. The event was inspired by the first marathon’s success in the 1896 Summer Olympics. The first race was conducted on April 19, 1897. Since then, it has been conducted annually by the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.).
Originally held as a local event, its fame and status have attracted runners from all over the world. Race has been subjected to various changes over time. Some of them are:
- The first to offer an official wheelchair division
- Women were officially allowed to participate in 1972
- Cash prizes were first awarded in 1986
The Course
This has a course length of 26 miles, 385 yards. It was changed in 1924 to meet the Olympic standard. The race starting point is at the town of Hopkinton. The finishing point is across from the Boston Public Library & the Old South Church in Boston’s Copley Square.
Boston Marathon 2022 Race timings
This year’s race timings are usually based on the participant’s division. Due to this, the start times might differ from previous years. The following are the expected times for each division of the race. Please note that they are yet to be confirmed by the B.A.A, as there can be last-minute changes.
- Military March – 6 am ET
- Men’s Wheelchair – 8:02 am ET
- Women’s Wheelchair – 8:05 am ET
- Professional Men – 8:37 am ET
- Professional Women – 8:45 am ET
- Para Athletics Divisions – 8:50 am ET
- Rolling Start Begins – 9:00 am ET
- Rolling Start Ends – 11:30 am ET
Boston Marathon 2022 Registration & Qualification
As it is a qualified race, you have to first qualify before registering via Athletes’ Village, B.A.A’s online platform. Qualification times for men and women can be found on the Boston Athletic Association website. The 2022 marathon registration took place from November 8-12, 2021 where 30000 runners have qualified & registered. Boston Marathon qualifying times and the Boston marathon results, Boston marathon route updates will be made accordingly.
Entry Fee
The entry fee for the qualifiers is $205 for United States citizens & $255 for international residents. Speaking of participation, anyone can participate in this beautiful event. This is really great because you get the chance to compete with the world’s best professional runners.
Conclusion
The Boston Marathon is a highly popular sporting event. Participating in this event itself is a dream come true for all runners. Several elite runners including the 2021 winner, Benson Kipruto is expected to compete this year. If you wish to watch the event in person, start packing now. As the event nears, most hotels in Boston will be completely booked. You too can experience this once in a lifetime opportunity by participating the next year.
