byRace Results WeeklyThe Boston and London Marathons are two of the litmus tests for the sport. Over the past 35 years for Boston, and over the past fourteen years, I have not missed either race. This year, due to a health issue, I was stuck in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, in front of my television, I viewed both races via You Tube. I watched the Boston Marathon from a feed from Venezuala, with only a few breaks and the live feed from BBC. More on that later.
With the marathons two weeks apart in 2019, the travel plans should be a bit more relaxed. Here’s David Monti of Race Results Weekly explaining the two week differential in 2019.
This year, the Boston and London Marathons, one week apart were the extremes of the hot and cold spectrum of marathoning. Athletes did well in both, and some did not so well. In both situations, it was about racing, which is a skill that needs to be cultivated by many of the world’s elite.
PHOTO: Eliud Kipchoge, Manuela Schar, Marcel Hug and Mary Keitany after receiving their Abbott World Marathon Majors Series XI trophies in London on April 23, 2018 (Photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly), used with permission.
BOSTON & LONDON MARATHONS TO BE HELD NEARLY TWO WEEKS APART IN 2019
By David Monti, @d9monti
(c) 2018 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved, used with permission.
(25-Apr) — For 2019, the Boston and London Marathons are scheduled to be 13 days apart, the longest gap between those two events in 24 years. Both events are part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, series XII.
Next year, Boston will be held on Monday, April 15, and London will be held on Sunday, April 28.
The last time that Boston and London were approximately two weeks apart was in 1995 when London was held first on April 2, and Boston followed on April 17. The farthest apart the events have ever been was in 1984 when Boston was April 16 and London was May 13, a 27-day gap.
The date shift is driven by the fact that Easter Sunday, long seen as a no-go date for event organizers in western countries, is the Sunday which follows Boston next year, April 21. The Boston Marathon is always held on Patriots’ Day, a state holiday in Massachusetts (also in Connecticut, Wisconsin and Maine), which is the third Monday in April regardless of when Easter is celebrated.
The Virgin Money London Marathon was founded in 1981, and has been held 38 times. During that time period, the Boston and London Marathons have been held on back-to-back days 11 times (the last time in 2011 when London was April 17 and Boston April 18). Over the last 10 years, London has followed Boston by 6 days on eight occasions, including the last four consecutive years.
Here is the date history of the two events (data courtesy of the Association of Road Racing Statisticians):
Year Boston London Days Apart
2019 April 15 April 28 +13
2018 April 16 April 22 +6
2017 April 17 April 23 +6
2016 April 18 April 24 +6
2015 April 20 April 26 +6
2014 April 21 April 13 -8
2013 April 15 April 21 +6
2012 April 16 April 22 +6
2011 April 18 April 17 -1
2010 April 19 April 25 +6
2009 April 20 April 26 +6
2008 April 21 April 13 -8
2007 April 16 April 22 +6
2006 April 17 April 23 +6
2005 April 18 April 17 -1
2004 April 19 April 18 -1
2003 April 21 April 13 -8
2002 April 15 April 14 -1
2001 April 16 April 22 +6
2000 April 17 April 16 -1
1999 April 19 April 18 -1
1998 April 20 April 26 +6
1997 April 21 April 13 -8
1996 April 15 April 21 +6
1995 April 17 April 02 -15
1994 April 18 April 17 -1
1993 April 19 April 18 -1
1992 April 20 April 12 -8
1991 April 15 April 21 +6
1990 April 16 April 22 +6
1989 April 17 April 23 +6
1988 April 18 April 17 -1
1987 April 20 May 10 +20
1986 April 21 April 20 -1
1985 April 15 April 21 +6
1984 April 16 May 13 +27
1983 April 18 April 17 -1
1982 April 19 May 8 +19
1981 April 20 March 29 -22
The Abbott World Marathon Majors Series XII begins with the BMW Berlin Marathon on Sunday, September 16. The Series XI champions, Eliud Kipchoge and Mary Keitany, were crowned in London on Monday.
