2026 Boston Marathon Wreath Ceremony: Wreaths Delivered From Marathon, Greece

With the Boston Marathon weekend officially underway, distinguished guests, civic leaders, and members of the international running community gathered Thursday evening at View Boston for the 2026 Boston Marathon Wreath Ceremony. High atop the Prudential Center, the venue offered sweeping views of the Boston skyline as the city below prepared for the annual marathon.

The event was hosted by the Consulate General of Greece in Boston, with support from the Alpha Omega Council and the 26.2 Foundation, and served as the official kickoff to race weekend. The ceremony marked the formal presentation of the winners' olive wreaths to the Boston Athletic Association ahead of the 130th running of the Boston Marathon, presented by Bank of America on Monday, April 20. Among those in attendance were Metropolitan Methodios, Consul General Symeon Tegos, and Alpha Omega Council President Harry Vlachos.

This year's ceremony carried particular significance, coinciding with three milestones: the 130th Boston Marathon, the 50th anniversary of the Alpha Omega Council, and the 80th anniversary of Stylianos Kyriakides' legendary 1946 victory.

Boston entrepreneur Tony Kariotis summed up the mood of the room: "It was a special night honoring the present and the past. Now let's go run this marathon and honor our country! I also think it's pretty cool that the wreaths are made with olive branches from Marathona, Greece!"

The olive wreaths were hand-cut from olive branches in Marathona, Greece, the very town that gave the race its name, and symbolize victory, peace, and the ideals of freedom and democracy. First introduced to the Boston Marathon in 1933 and formalized as a ceremony in 1984, the wreaths were presented Thursday evening by the Boston Lykeion Ellinidon Maidens and will crown this year's champions on Monday.

On Monday April 20th, 2026 the 130th Boston Marathon steps off from Hopkinton at 9:02 a.m., with more than 30,000 runners covering 26.2 miles through eight cities and towns before finishing on Boylston Street in Copley Square, where this year's champions will be crowned with the wreaths presented Friday night.