The first lighting of the flame of the marathon run took place on November 3, 2007, at the sacred site of the Battle of Marathon and the tomb of the Athenians in Marathon, Greece. In 2008, Hopkinton became the first U.S. community to receive the flame. The Boston Marathon, which begins in Hopkinton, is modeled after the original modern Olympic event that started in Marathon, Greece, and finished in the Olympic stadium in Athens, and it is the oldest continuously run marathon in the world. Hopkinton and Marathon, Greece, officially established a twin city relationship on April 17, 2006, celebrated by dedicating a sculpture honoring 1946 winner Stylianos Kyriakides at the one-mile mark of the Boston Marathon course.
