BOSTON, MA –
The 2026 Boston Marathon Wreath Ceremony, celebrating its 42nd anniversary, will take place on Thursday, April 16, 2026 from 6-8PM at View Boston. The Consul General of Greece in Boston, with the support of the Alpha Omega Council and the 26.2 Foundation, will present the winners’ wreaths to the Boston Athletic Association, which will be used to crown the winners of the 130th running of the Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America on Monday, April 20, 2026.
This year’s ceremony holds special significance as it coincides with the 130th Boston Marathon, the 50th Anniversary of the Alpha Omega Council, and the 80th year since Stylianos Kyriakides’ historic and humanitarian victory in the 1946 Boston Marathon. In recognition of this milestone, Kyriakides’ son, Dimitri Kyriakides, will travel to Boston as part of a seven-member Stylianos Kyriakides (SK) Delegation to participate in the ceremony and honor his father’s enduring legacy. Four members of the delegation – including Michalis Kalomiris, who represented Greece in the Rio Olympic marathon – will run the Boston Marathon in tribute to Kyriakides’ historic 1946 victory.
The four gold wreaths, cut from olive trees in Marathon, Greece, will serve as a symbolic gift from the people of Greece. The olive wreath tradition represents the ideals for which the citizen-soldiers fought in Marathon over 2,500 years ago: freedom, individual dignity, and the power of democracy. This powerful symbol continues to connect the ancient origins of the marathon to the modern race in Boston.
The evening will feature welcome remarks by Alpha Omega Council President Harry J. Vlachos, Esq., who will reflect on the history of the olive wreath and its crowning of victorious athletes in the Ancient Olympic Games, a tradition introduced to the Boston Marathon in 1933. Hon. Symeon Tegos, Consul General of Greece in Boston, will present the gold wreaths to Peter Brown, Chair of the Boston Athletic Association Board of Governors and will speak to the enduring symbolism and unifying spirit of Marathon. The four wreaths will be carried on stage by the Maidens from the Boston Lykeion Ellinidon, and Arielle Mitropoulos, Greek-American, Cambridge-native, five-time Boston Marathon charity runner, and news anchor will serve as the Master of Ceremony and Emcee for the evening.
Special presentations will be offered by Timothy Kilduff, President and Founder of the 26.2 Foundation and former Boston Marathon Race Director and Paul Tsitsopoulos, Immediate Past President of the Alpha Omega Council. Together with the Boston Athletic Association, they will honor four individuals for their lasting contributions to the Boston Marathon. Honorees will include Jack Fultz, 1976 Boston Marathon Champion and member of the Kyriakides Circle and more.
The wreaths will be offered in the name of Stylianos Kyriakides, whose 1946 Boston Marathon victory became one of the most meaningful moments in the race’s history. Kyriakides ran not only to win, but to raise awareness and humanitarian aid for the people of Greece suffering in the aftermath of World War II. His legacy continues to inspire runners and communities around the world.
The four olive branch wreaths presented during the ceremony on April 16, 2026 will crown the winners of the 130th Boston Marathon on Monday, April 20, 2026.
For more information on the Boston Marathon, please visit www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon
