Boston Marathon finish at Copley Square

The Boston Marathon, held annually since 1897, finishes on Boylston Street outside the Boston Public Library. The race distance (26.2 miles) is the Olympic marathon distance and the event has long attracted Olympic-level marathoners. Joan Benoit Samuelson, who won the first women's Olympic marathon gold medal in 1984, won the Boston Marathon in 1979, 1983, and 1985, finishing at Copley Square. The finish area is a recurring site where Olympic medalists and Olympic competitors have completed the Boston Marathon.