TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 The Starting Block 4 CHAPTER 2 The Finish Line 10 CHAPTER 3 The Kindness of Strangers 14 CHAPTER 4 The Longest Mile 20 CHAPTER 5 Boston Strong 24 THINK ABOUT IT 30 LEARN MORE 31 GLOSSARY 32 INDEX 32
chapter 1 The Starting Block A marathon is a 26 2-mile 42 2-kilometer foot race The first marathon was held at the very first modern Olympic Games in 1896 in Athens Greece More than 1 million people around the globe participate in marathons each year Run clubs meet each week to train together Volunteers pass out water to runners at races Spectators gather on the sidelines to cheer for runners Some marathons raise money for charities Other marathons help runners qualify for the Olympics One of those races is the Boston Marathon The Boston Marathon is the oldest annual marathon in the world In 2013 a tragedy took place at the Boston Marathon 4 21st century skills library
The Boston Marathon draws elite runners from all over the world Boston is the capital city of Massachusetts It is also the home of one of the world’s most famous marathons The first Boston Marathon took place in 1897 There were only 15 runners in the first race It is held every April on Patriots Day the third Monday in April Runners from all over the world compete in the Boston Marathon The race route goes through many Boston neighborhoods It takes runners past several Boston landmarks such as Boston College 5 Sports Unite Us
