It would be “a museum about the sport, a hall of fame,’’ said Tim Kilduff, executive director of the 26.2 Foundation, formerly the Hopkinton Athletic Association.
Both Hopkinton and Ashland have expressed interest, and both have a case, officials and aficionados say.
Ashland served as the starting point for the Boston Marathon from the first race in 1897 until 1924, when the route was lengthened to the Olympic standard of 26.2 miles, according to Tom Grilk, executive director of the Boston Athletic Association, which oversees the race. Hopkinton since has been the site of the starting line.
But Kilduff expects more towns will eventually come forward, saying that arguments could also be made for Framingham, Natick, and Wellesley, which as the Marathon’s half-way point and home to Wellesley College is a “historic piece of the race.’’
He, of course, acknowledged that he’s partial to Hopkinton - as are others.
“Certainly Hopkinton is the Cooperstown of marathoning,’’ said Richard A. Johnson, curator of the Sports Museum in Boston and author of “The Boston Marathon,’’ as well as more than a half-dozen other sports-related books. “Everyone aspires to get to Hopkinton before they get to Boston. If ever there was a spiritual ZIP code for the race, and for the history of marathoning in this country, it would reside there.’’
But Ashland is pushing its role as well. The Ashland Redevelopment Authority recently proposed starting a half-marathon in town to raise money to improve its marathon park (which commemorates the original starting line) and to potentially develop plans for a museum. According to chairman Steven Greenberg, the authority was expected to meet with a consultant to discuss those plans this week.
“We thought it was something that would be of interest to runners, and that would boost some tourism here in town,’’ he said. However, he added, “we’re open to whatever’s best for Metrowest.’’
