Question 1

True or false: The Boston Marathon begins in downtown Boston and ends in Hopkinton, Massachusetts.

Accepted Answer

False. The Boston Marathon runs from Hopkinton to Boston, not the reverse. The start is in Hopkinton, finish on Boylston Street in Boston.

Question 2

True or false: The Boston Marathon did not officially allow women to compete until 1972.

Accepted Answer

True. Women were not officially allowed to compete in the Boston Marathon until 1972, when Nina Kuscsik became the first official women's winner.

Question 3

True or false: The Boston Marathon was canceled in 2020, the first cancellation in its 124-year history.

Accepted Answer

True. The 2020 Boston Marathon was canceled due to COVID-19, the only cancellation since its inception in 1897.

Question 4

True or false: The Boston Marathon does not award any prize money to its winners.

Accepted Answer

False. The Boston Marathon has offered prize money since 1986. Winners receive over $150,000 in total prize purse.

Question 5

True or false: The Boston Marathon is the largest marathon in the United States by number of finishers.

Accepted Answer

False. The New York City Marathon consistently has the most finishers in the U.S., with over 50,000 compared to Boston's ~30,000.

Question 6

True or false: The Boston Marathon only allows runners who have met the official qualifying time standard.

Accepted Answer

False. While most runners qualify, the Boston Marathon also offers charity, invitational, and sponsor entries, so qualifying time is not the only path.

Question 7

True or false: The Boston Marathon is the world's oldest annual marathon, first run in 1897.

Accepted Answer

True. The Boston Marathon was first held in 1897, making it the world's oldest annual marathon. It has been run every year except 2020.

Question 8

True or false: The Boston Marathon course has a net downhill elevation drop of over 400 feet.

Accepted Answer

True. Despite its hilly reputation, the Boston Marathon course drops over 438 feet from start to finish, a net downhill.

The Boston Marathon Trivia Questions