# Boston Marathon

The 124th Boston Marathon, which was due to take place on April 20, has been postponed until Sept. 14 in a bid to curb the spread of coronavirus. It is the first postponement in the history of the event.

"Our expectation — and it's an expectation and a hope right now — is that this date will get us to a safer place in relation to the spread of coronavirus," Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said on March 13.

The Boston Marathon was first run in 1897, making it the oldest annual marathon in the world. The event was inspired by the success of the first marathon competition at the 1896 summer Olympic Games, the first modern Olympics.