Steve Schallenkamp: Local runners compete in 129th Boston Marathon

Steve Schallenkamp: Local runners compete in 129th Boston Marathon

The oldest annual marathon in the world is the Boston Marathon, first run in 1897. The first Boston Marathon was inspired by the marathon being part of the revival of the Olympic Games in 1896. John Graham was the team manager for the USA team for the Athens Olympic Games, and when he came back, he convinced the Boston Athletic Association (BAA) to host a marathon. The first Boston was 24.5 miles from Ashland, MA, to Irvington Oval in Boston. Th…