BOSTON, MA — As the sun dipped behind the Boston skyline on Thursday evening, four olive wreaths from the trees of Marathon, Greece, caught the golden light atop the Prudential Tower, ancient symbols of triumph, ready to crown the city they were meant to honor.

At 800 feet above the finish line, Boston paused, suspended in a moment of reflection and celebration.

The annual Boston Marathon Wreath Ceremony, hosted by the Consul General of Greece in Boston with support from the Alpha Omega Council and the 26.2 Foundation, brought together diplomats, organizers, athletes, and marathon legends to pass on a symbol as enduring as the race itself.

Presented to the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.), the gold wreaths will soon rest on the heads of four champions of the 129th Boston Marathon: the first-place finishers in the men’s and women’s open and wheelchair divisions.

Boston Marathon Champion Trophy, Photo credit: John Deputy

One of the four golden wreaths, Photo credit: John Deputy

“This is an incredible moment for us,” said Symeon Tegos, Consul General of Greece in Boston. “Because tonight we honor an incredible tradition.”

Tegos drew a powerful line between the past and present. “What unites us, the old and the new world, is our belief in the impossible.”

He spoke of Pheidippides, the ancient Athenian messenger who inspired the modern marathon, and of Stylianos Kyriakidis, the Greek runner who came to Boston in 1946 to race for a starving post-war Greece.

“He believed in the impossible,” Tegos said. “And he made it possible.”

That legacy echoed through the words of Timothy Kilduff, president of the 26.2 Foundation. “The people of Greece donated these wreaths to the Boston Athletic Association for the Marathon,” he said. “Charity runners may not wear them, but they carry the same spirit, doing something bigger than themselves.”

Kilduff recounted how Kyriakidis, racing against all odds, not only won the Boston Marathon but also turned that victory into life-saving action. His triumph drew national attention and led to two cargo ships filled with food, medicine, and clothing, plus $250,000 in aid, delivered to Greece.

“That shows the power of the marathon,” Kilduff said. “That was the first true charity run. He didn’t just run to win. He ran to heal.”

From left to right: Symeon Tegos, Maria Polizou, Cheri Blauwet, Bob Hall, Bill Rodgers, Marilyn Bevans, Harry J. Vlachos, Timothy Kilduff. Photo credit: John Deputy

Three pioneers of the marathon stood side by side at the ceremony, not to race, but to be recognized. Each was presented with an honorary olive wreath, a tribute to their lasting impact on the sport.

Bill Rodgers, known as “Boston Billy,” accepted one of the wreaths. A four-time Boston Marathon winner between 1975 and 1980, Rodgers helped catapult American distance running into the national spotlight during an era when few Americans dominated the sport. He also claimed four victories at the New York City Marathon, won the Fukuoka Marathon in Japan, and competed in the 1976 Olympics.

Nearby stood Bob Hall, the man who changed marathon history in 1975 when he became the first officially recognized wheelchair participant at the Boston Marathon. He, too, accepted an honorary wreath, a symbol of how far the sport has come since his breakthrough moment. His landmark 1984 performance helped pave the way for the wheelchair division to be fully integrated. “I’m speechless, humbled, and proud of what we’ve accomplished,” Hall said. “But there’s still so much more to do, and we’re headed in the right direction.”

Marilyn Bevans, the first Black American woman to break three hours in the marathon and the first national-class black female American marathoner, was also honored with a wreath. “At a time when the sport was neither diverse nor welcoming, she ran with quiet strength,” said Harry J. Vlachos, Esq., President of the Alpha Omega Council. “She carved a path when there was none.” Bevans ran a 2:52:52 marathon in 1975 at a time when few women, and even fewer women of color, were visible in distance running.

The evening’s program was guided by Arielle Mitropoulos, anchor and reporter at WMUR-TV in New Hampshire, who served as master of ceremonies. A five-time Boston Marathon finisher and charity runner for the American Liver Foundation, Mitropoulos brought both lived experience and emotional depth to the role. “This is a special race for these charity moments,” she said.

Speaking as someone who has run the course mile by mile, Mitropoulos captured the spirit of the night with a quote from marathon icon Kathrine Switzer: “If you ever lose faith in humanity, go watch a marathon.”

The wreaths were formally accepted by Dr. Cheri Blauwet, Chair of the B.A.A. of Governors. A two-time winner of the Boston Marathon’s wheelchair division and a practicing physician, Blauwet has spent her life at the intersection of sport and service.

“This year’s theme is Meet the Moment,” Blauwet said. “And that’s what we are trying to achieve.” She spoke of Boston’s roots in Greece, a connection first made 129 years ago, when the modern marathon was born, and of how that legacy continues, year after year, through every runner who dares to show up.

For B.A.A. chief executive officer Jack Fleming, that moment came in 2013. In the wake of the 2013 bombing, the marathon transformed from a race into a rallying point. “Before 2013, the marathon mattered to runners,” Fleming said. “After 2014, it mattered to everyone.”

It was no longer just a sporting event. It became a symbol of freedom, of resilience, of unity in the face of unthinkable loss. “What came next was remarkable,” he said. “People stayed. People showed up. People made it personal.”

That shift, Fleming believes, defines the B.A.A.’s mission today: not just to celebrate finishers, but to uplift anyone daring to begin. “We’re in the business of helping people feel good about themselves,” he said. “It’s not just about finishing. It’s about the process. The belief that you can do something hard, and then actually do it.”

From left to right: Symeon Tegos and the Maidens from the Boston Lykeion Ellinidon: Stella Erickson, Eleni Balafas, Dido Stoikou, Argo Kaminis. Photo credit: John Deputy

      

The ceremony included the Greek and American national anthems, sung by Zoe Behrakis, followed by a blessing from His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios, delivered on his behalf. Then came the entrance of maidens from the Boston Lykeion Ellinidon, dressed in white, carrying the olive wreaths.

On Thursday night, Boston met the moment and made it its own.