around the world gather the tiny town Hopkinton, Massachusetts. A sign on Hopkinton testant hard Green greets them. It reads: "Welcome ro Hopkinton. It all starts here." The"it" that starts most r in Hopkinton is the famous Boston Marathon ners m an annual race first run on April 19. 1897 The first Boston Marathon was organized by books the Boston Athletic Association. America's oldest Wi athletic club. Inspired by Olympic marathons, reads members planned a 24.5-mile course. Its start- cour ing point was the rural town of Ashland. Fifteen and men ran in that first race. It has since become half the world's oldest annual marathon. mura Today the road to Boston is paved, but racers 17. follow nearly the same course as those first fif. the teen men. In 1924, the starting point was I moved from Ashland southwest to Hopkinton. adding distance to the route. Imagine it is the third Monday of April 2001 sp More than 16,000 men and women stretch their re limbs. They attach little time clocks to their