By Brittany O’Loughlin

In celebration of the 2,500th anniversary of the Battle of Marathon, the Hopkinton Public Library– sponsored by the Boston Athletic Association, the Hopkinton Athletic Association, and Marathon 2010– is holding the Hopkinton Reading Marathon. The event, which is taking place now and will go until the Boston Marathon on April 19th, 2010, was created to “bring awareness to the 2,500th anniversary of the Battle of Marathon,” and to get people “excited about reading and the library,” says Adult Services Librarian, Susan Marshall.
To take part in the Reading Marathon, one must sign up online or at the Public Library. The goal is for teens and adults to read for 26 hours and for children to read 26 books before the marathon in April. The hours or books must be recorded online or at the library. Those who complete the marathon will receive a medal, a certificate and will be entered in a raffle to win a prize once they do. People that finish can also choose a library book to be dedicated to their efforts. One of the library’s goals is to get at least 26 people from each age group to finish. So far, the children (toddlers through fifth grade) are in lead.
The Battle of Marathon is important to Hopkinton because Marathon, Greece is the town’s sister city. The soldiers from Athens were fighting for their democracy during the historic battle, and without their victory, America might not have developed the democracy it has today. The marathon comes from the soldier Pheidippides, who ran 26 miles to Athens from Marathon to announce their victory. The Reading Marathon is also taking place in some parts of North Carolina, Marathon, Greece, and Milton, Ma.
To sign up, people can go the Library’s website, http://www.hopkintonlibrary.org/, and click on the Marathon logo. Next, they can choose their age group at the top and choose the button that says “Sign Me Up.” Finally, their information can be entered, and their hours logged every time they read. When someone finishes a book, that person can also write reviews for it on the website that other participants can read it as well.
As the Reading Marathon continues, everyone is encouraged to join. Susan Marshall hopes that they will “get as many people as possible” to participate, become aware of the 2500th anniversary of the battle, and all the while discover the great opportunities the library has to offer. To learn more about the Hopkinton Reading Marathon, information can be found at the library and on their website.