The Tradition of Gold Wreaths for Boston Marathon Winners Explained
What's the story behind gold wreaths given to Boston Marathon winners?
Yahoo! NewsImage: Yahoo! News
The Boston Marathon winners are crowned with gold-painted olive wreaths, symbolizing victory and peace. These wreaths, presented by the Greek Consulate, are made from olive branches cut in Marathon, Greece, and commemorate the marathon's historic ties to the ancient Olympic games.
- 01Winners of the Boston Marathon receive gold-painted olive wreaths, symbolizing victory and peace.
- 02The wreaths are crafted from olive branches from Marathon, Greece, and are inscribed to honor the 1946 champion.
- 03The tradition of crowning marathon winners with wreaths began in 1984, inspired by ancient Greek customs.
- 04This year's ceremony celebrated the 80th anniversary of the 1946 Boston Marathon champion Stylianos Kyriakides.
- 05The wreaths were presented by the Consulate General of Greece in Boston during a ceremonial event.
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Winners of the Boston Marathon, held on April 20, will be crowned with gold-painted olive wreaths, symbolizing victory and peace. These wreaths are made from olive branches sourced from Marathon, Greece, and were presented during the 42nd annual wreath ceremony on April 16. The event was attended by representatives from the Greek Consulate, including Symeon Tegos, and celebrated the 80th anniversary of Stylianos Kyriakides, the 1946 Boston Marathon champion. The tradition of awarding wreaths dates back to 1984, inspired by the ancient Greek practice of crowning victors with laurel wreaths. The ceremony also recognized notable figures, including Jack Fultz, the 1976 Boston Marathon winner, who contributed to the Dana Farber Marathon Challenge program.
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