Projects and Results:  How Are We Doing on Key Projects...Past and Present? “The Starter” Located on the Town Common adjacent to the Start Line of the Boston Marathon.  Honoring George V Brown who stands ready to start the Boston Marathon, as he did from 1905 to 1937. Thousands of runners gather here each year at the race start line, visible just a few feet away, to run the 26.2 miles to Boston. Brown is Hopkinton’s “First Citizen of Sport.” born here in 1880, he was instrumental in bringing the Boston Marathon start to Hopkinton as Boston Athletic Association governor, coach, and athletic director.  He was prominent in the early years of Boston sports, serving as coach, manager, or founder of programs in professional and college hockey, Olympic track and field, and the old Boston Garden.  He was Boston University’s first athletic director.  Brown is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. He was buried in Hopkinton in 1937. Sculpture by Michael Alfano Commissioned by the HAA Dedicated 2008 "The Starter" "Spirit of the Marathon" "The Spirit of the Marathon" sculpture located at the Mile 1 mark.  Commissioned by the HAA and dedicated in 2006 to mark the 60th anniversary of Stylianos Kyriakides victory in the 1946 Boston Marathon.  Kyriakides had come to the United States to appeal for relief of his Greek homeland which had been ravaged by World War II.  Tired, undernourished, and past his peak condition, Kyriakides wonand spread the word of the plight of is country.  This sculpture is identical to one that was placed in Marathon, Greece for the 2004 Olympics. "How'd the Hoyts Do???"  The Hoyts, with Dick pushing son Rick in a wheelchair, ran the Marathon for the 25th time in April 2006.   However, a series of misfortunes had supporters opening their hearts and wallets to help secure a new van for Rick.  The Hopkinton Athletic Association came forward to help Hoyt buy a new van for his son Rick, 43, who is quadriplegic and can’t speak.  The HAA began a fundraising appeal and shortly thereafter over 200 individual donors responded with an outpouring of support.  In all, over $70,000 was raised and will be used not only for a new van, but to help secure future needs of Rick Hoyt.  Thank you for your contribution to this effort!!! Donor Certificate Circa 1996 "Where's My Brick?" ... That is a 'common'ly asked question for those experienced runners and fans who put $10 down to help pave the Hopkinton Common.  In 1996 the "Pave the Way Campaign" sought to raise moneys to pave the two walkways on Hopkinton Common at the Marathon start line.  In addition, donations would also help fund the first-ever track at Hopkinton High School.  The town common paving began with your efforts, with great anticipation to name the crossing point "Kelly's Crossing" after multi-winner Johnny Kelly.  Alas, the "Buy a Brick" effort only yielded around 1700 donations and only paved a portion of Town Common.  In 2003, the Town decided it could pave the entire Common with 'faux' brick, so the original bricks were dug up, but saved for an even better fate (read on!)   Plus, the track got built and went on to yield 5 outright state champion girl's track teams, as well as 7 Div III state champions. In 2006, the HAA brought to Hopkinton's Mile 1 location a wonderful statue by Mico Kaufman entitled "Spirit of the Marathon" featuring the 1946 Champion Stylianos Kyriakides.  This is an exact match of the statue that was given to our Sister Cty Marathon, Greece for the 2004 Olympics.  As you visit the statue, you will find all 1700 bricks donated by you and your friends of the Marathon.  We believe that this is a fitting tribute to your donation...to recognize the struggle and triumph of Kyriakides. An additional promise from the 100th Boston Marathon was that, despite never intending to fund an inscribed brick, that "the sponsor's name will also become a part of a permanent record kept in Hopkinton near the start of the Marathon."  To honor that promise please click on the following link to see a list of all contributors to the brick project...Click for Bricks In 1996, many stories came in, such as Mrs. Lillian Rich purchased a brick as a surprise for her husband Harold who was 82 and had run the Boston Marathon in the early 1930s.  Thank you all, and thank you for the Mile 1 statue pathway!!!