The Boston Marathon isn’t actually the biggest 26.2 mile race in the United States, but it’s definitely one of the most iconic and notable marathons in the nation — and certainly still a large-scale production.
Boston has the oldest marathon in the world, according to the Boston Athletic Association, and one of the most prestigious road races, thanks to its intense course and infamous qualifying times.
But as everyone knows, Marathon Monday is about more than just those 26.2 miles. It’s about all the people that participate and all the effort that goes into the city-consuming event.
The Boston Athletic Association limited the race’s field size to 30,000 entrants — representing 99 countries — and that meant that 5,062 qualified applicants were rejected this year, according to WalletHub. The route has seen some non-qualified runners as well: 50-plus crashers manage to run the entire Boston Marathon each year.
Beyond the course, the marathon has a huge economic impact on the area, to the tune of an estimated $201 million. Many runners use the race to raise money, and $297 million has been raised in total for Boston Marathon charities since 1986.
Here’s a look at what else makes up the Boston Marathon by the numbers, according to the BAA:
People involved in the 2018 Boston Marathon
1,000,000 Spectators along the course
9,500 Volunteers
1,900 Medical personnel
3,500 Security personnel
69 Race officials
1,500 Boston police officers
4,000 Local, state and federal law enforcement officers
450 State police officers
480 Members of the Army National Guard
Medical preparations for the 2018 Boston Marathon
500 Bags of ice
800 Cots
1,500 Blankets
4000 Band-Aids
175 Ace bandages
1,500 Gauze pads
2,000 Adhesive bandages
500 Tubes of petroleum jelly
10,000 Pairs of medical gloves
2,000 Tubes of antibiotic ointment
30 Ice immersion tubs
Food for the 2018 Boston Marathon:
3,300 Pounds of pasta
2,825 Quarts of tomato sauce
3,400 Pounds of fresh vegetables
100 Pounds of ground black pepper
35,300 Clif Bars
42,000 Packets of Clif Bar energy shots
17,000 Cups of coffee/tea
5,250 Gallons of boiling water
5,225 Hours of preparation & cooking time
35,000 Gallons of Poland Spring Water
2,500 Wellesley College students have served pasta to the runners over the years at City Hall
906 Dozen bagels
25,050 Single-serve bags of Jet Blue chips
26,208 Single serve bags of Wise chips
24,252 Units of Clif Builder Bar
28,200 Bananas
35,000 Packets of Craisins
30,060 Dole Fresh Fruit Cups
42,780 Rainier apples
46,112 King’s Hawaiian Sweet Rolls
2,600 Calories burned in the average marathon
