Start of Boston Marathon
This statue on the Hopkinton Town Common captures of the most recognizable moments in distance running: the instant before the start of the Boston Marathon. The figure is a man poised to send thousands of runners on their way toward Boston.
This sculpture represents the marathon starter, long associated with officials of the Boston Athletic Association and particularly George Brown. The moment frozen in bronze is familiar to runners and spectators. The statue stands where the race itself begins, anchoring Hopkinton as the town that launches the world’s oldest annual marathon.
Hopkinton was chosen as the starting town in 1897, the inaugural year of the Boston Marathon. It was chosen for distance accuracy and because it was a clear, direct route along existing roads.
Over time, what began as a logistical choice became a deeply rooted tradition.
Hopkinton wasn’t chosen because it was famous. It became famous because it was chosen.
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World War I Doughboy
At the edge of the Town Common in Hopkinton stands a life-size bronze American soldier, striding forward with his rifle resting on his shoulder. Known simply as “The Doughboy,” the monument honors the men of Hopkinton who served during World War I, from 1917 to 1919. The bronze tablet on its granite base records the […]
The Girl Who Ran
Hopkinton is best known as the starting point of the Boston Marathon, but it is now home to another landmark that tells an important chapter in the race’s history. This bronze sculpture, titled The Girl Who Ran, honors Bobbi Gibb, the first woman to run and complete the Boston Marathon. In 1966, women were not permitted […]
