This past week was monumental for runners around the globe. Monday, April 21, marked the day of the prestigious Boston Marathon, the oldest annual marathon in the world. Then, this past Sunday, April 27, was the London Marathon, one of the most popular races in the world. Both marathons are considered cornerstones of the global running calendar.
The first Boston Marathon was held on April 19, 1897. Inspired by the Olympic Marathon, U.S. Olympic team Manager John Graham decided to organize a marathon in the Boston area. The proposed path was 24.5 miles long, the standard length at the time, and began at Metcalf’s Mill in Ashland. Runners would finish at the Irvington Oval in Boston. Out of the 15 men running in the inaugural race, John J. McDermott from New York would take the win.
The winner of the 2025 Boston Marathon men’s division was John Korir of Kenya. He finished with an official time of 2:04:45. The winner of the women’s division was Sharon Lokedi of Kenya. Her official time was 2:17:22. The women’s wheelchair division winner was Susannah Scaroni of the U.S. with a time of 1:35:20. The men’s wheelchair division winner was Marcel Hug of Switzerland. He completed the race in 1:21:34.
The marathon route is now 26 miles and 385 yards as per Olympic standards, starting in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, and ending on Boylston Street in Boston. The marathon is infamous for the stretch between miles 20 and 21 known as “Heartbreak Hill”. It remains a milestone race for runners across the globe, and it is celebrated like a national holiday in the Boston area.
The London Marathon, generally held about a week after the Boston Marathon, was first organized on March 29, 1981. The founders of the event were Olympic champion and journalist Chris Brasher and athlete John Disley. Over 20,000 people signed up for the first race, proving it to be immensely popular from its inception. Since its beginnings, many people have run the race for charity, raising money before and during the marathon. It is now hailed as one of the largest annual one-day fundraising events globally.
Sabastian Sawe of Kenya was the winner of the men’s division with a time of 2:02:27. Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia won the women’s division with a time of 2:15:50. The winner of the women’s wheelchair division was Chatherine Debrunner of Switzerland, finishing the race in 1:34:18. The men’s wheelchair division winner was Marcel Hug once again with a time of 1:25:25.
The London Marathon is known for its popularity, inclusivity, and animated fans that swarm the city’s streets. The course follows the River Thames, beginning in Blackheath and ending at The Mall in central London. Since 2006, the race has been one of the World Marathon Majors which includes seven of the world’s most elite marathons.
With the rise of social media in recent years, marathons such as Boston or London have been much more heavily documented for the world to see. Runners both document the race itself and the training leading up to it, inspiring others to run as well. This running swell was certainly felt at the London Marathon, which had a record number of 840,318 people applying for the 2025 race. The Boston Marathon also had a record number of 36,393 applicants for the race this past week.
–Moya Stringer `25
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