Q 01/05

In which town does the Boston Marathon start?

A) Hopkinton

B) Framingham

C) Ashland

D) Natick

Answer · why

A) Hopkinton

Hopkinton, about 26 miles west of the city, has hosted the start since 1924, when the course was lengthened and the starting line moved from Metcalf's...

Q 02/05

Where in Boston is the finish line?

A) Beacon Street

B) Commonwealth Avenue

C) Boylston Street

D) Newbury Street

Answer · why

C) Boylston Street

Boylston Street in the Back Bay hosts the finish line; runners reach it through the famous 'right on Hereford, left on Boylston' turns that close the ...

Q 03/05

On which holiday is the Boston Marathon traditionally held?

A) Presidents' Day

B) Labor Day

C) Memorial Day

D) Patriots' Day

Answer · why

D) Patriots' Day

Patriots' Day, the Massachusetts holiday marking the 1775 battles of Lexington and Concord, has been observed on the third Monday of April since 1969,...

Q 04/05

In which year was the first Boston Marathon run?

A) 1897

B) 1901

C) 1908

D) 1921

Answer · why

A) 1897

1897 saw the first running on 19 April, organised by the Boston Athletic Association with a field of 15 starters on a course from Ashland into the cit...

Q 05/05

Which event inspired the founding of the Boston race?

A) The 1896 Athens Olympics marathon

B) A New York footrace

C) The Buffalo Turkey Trot

D) The Battle of Marathon anniversary

Answer · why

A) The 1896 Athens Olympics marathon

The 1896 Athens Olympics marathon, won by Spyridon Louis, so impressed B.A.A. team manager John Graham that the association, itself founded in 1887, o...