Why not Saturday or Sunday like a normal marathon?
Why not Saturday or Sunday like a normal marathon?
This is the 113th running of Boston. In the late 19th century Mondays were part of the weekend. They just never modernized.
800m race is fun wrote:
Why not Saturday or Sunday like a normal marathon?
Why is Peachtree on July 4?
It's held on Patriots day in Boston.
It has always been held on Patriot's Day, the third Monday in April. Patriot's Day is a holiday in Mass. It is also coincides with the schools April vacation week.
Get up early on go to Lexington Green where they reenact the Battle of Lexinton and Concord. Then go the Heartbreak Hill in Newton to watch the runners. Then go have a beer.
800m race is fun wrote:
Why not Saturday or Sunday like a normal marathon?
Boston is the normal marathon. All other marathons were inspired by Boston. Makes it strange that Boston times don't count for world records when it is the original marathon.
Sesamoiditis wrote:
All other marathons were inspired by Boston. Makes it strange that Boston times don't count for world records when it is the original marathon.
Excuse me?
I do not think that the Boston Marathon has ever been run on a Sunday. As previously stated, it has always been run on Patriots Day. The Patriot Holiday has been observed on the third Monday in April since 1969. I ran the Boston Marathon on Thursday in 1962.
Orville I believe prior to 1969 when state law set patriots Day on the third Monday of the month it was held on the 19th which ever day that fell on. I've never heard of skipping Sundays. Tom Dederian posts here and is a BAA coach & historian.
e-mail sent
Tom
wineturtle wrote:
Tom Dederian posts here and is a GBTC coach & historian.
fixed
Tom,
I had gone through Tom Derderian's book before posting earlier.
Here are some dates that I have found
The first Boston Marathon was run on Monday, April 19, 1897.
Then: Tues April 19, 1898
Skip to Fri, April, 19, 1901
Sat, April 19, 1902
Mon April 20, 1903
I ran it on Mon April 20, 1964
Then it was run on Mon April 19, 1965
I think I got them right. I still can't find a Sunday.
Orville
Why is the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on a Thursday?
Orville Atkins wrote:
Tom,
I had gone through Tom Derderian's book before posting earlier.
Here are some dates that I have found
The first Boston Marathon was run on Monday, April 19, 1897.
Then: Tues April 19, 1898
Skip to Fri, April, 19, 1901
Sat, April 19, 1902
Mon April 20, 1903
I ran it on Mon April 20, 1964
Then it was run on Mon April 19, 1965
I think I got them right. I still can't find a Sunday.
Orville
My guess is that when the 19th fell on a Sunday, Patriot's day was celebrated the following Monday. Either that, or Patriot's day fell on a Sunday, but the blue laws at the time kept them from holding the marathon on Sunday so they moved it to the next day. It's before my time, but I've always understood that Mass. used to have some of the strictest blue laws.
GBT are obvious. What does the C stand for. And why is the L missing.
slight edit wrote:
wineturtle wrote:GBTC
fixed
Orville
Got a call from Wayne Baker just as I posted--he thinks the Sunday blue laws did impact the dates. Seems as if the facts are tilting toward Never On Sunday and my memory being wrong.
not the first time...
and thanks to the person correcting Dederians coaching position.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYI9bjQVLgEwineturtle wrote:
Never On Sunday
They do it so that the obvious search for the word "Monday" on the "Boston Marathon" wikipedia page, which clearly answers this question, remains accurate.
"The race has traditionally been held on Patriots' Day, a state holiday in Massachusetts, and until 1969 that was every April 19, whichever day of the week that fell on. Starting in 1969, the holiday was observed on the third Monday in April and so the marathon date was correspondingly fixed to that Monday, often referred to by local residents as 'Marathon Monday.'"
I took a look, just opening by chance near the middle of the book. I see Saturday, 19 Apr 1958; followed by Monday, 20 April 1959. It lends credence to the "never on Sunday" theory.
There are too many churches in the towns along the course for the BAA to move the marathon to Sunday. (although it has been discussed)
Anyone know why they start the race so late? I know they have to bus everyone out to the start, is that the reason?