With the initial marathon held on Patriot's Day in 1897 the Boston Marathon is seeped in tradition.

The first Boston Marathon was run on Patriot's Day, April 19, 1897, a little more than a year after that first Olympic marathon in Athens. The course, from Metcalfe's Mill in Asthland, Massachusetts, to the Irvington Street Oval in Boston, measured 24.5 miles. After the International Olympic Committee adopted 26 miles, 385 yards as the official Olympic marathon distance, the Boston course was changed to this distance in 1924. The course has been modified over the years to accomadate sponsor changes and corrections in length.

From 1897-1968, the Boston Marathon was held on Patriots' Day, April 19, a holiday commemorating the start of the Revolutionary War and recognized only in Massachusetts and Maine. The lone exception was when the 19th fell on Sunday. In those years, the race was held the following day (Monday the 20th). In 1969, the holiday was officially moved to the third Monday in April and all races since then have been run on a Monday.

The Boston Athletic Association didn't formally allow women to enter the Boston Marathon until 1972, Prior to that some women had snuck into the race to participate.