CONSUL GENERAL OF GREECE, ALPHA OMEGA COUNCIL & 26.2 FOUNDATION HOSTED 2026 BOSTON MARATHON WREATH CEREMONY
Posted by estiator at 17 April, at 10 : 27 AM Print
Honoring the 130th Boston Marathon and 80 Years Since Stylianos Kyriakides’ Historic Victory
BOSTON, MA (April 17, 2026) – On the evening of Thursday, April 16th, distinguished guests, civic leaders, and members of the international running community gathered at View Boston for the 42nd annual 2026 Boston Marathon Wreath Ceremony. Hosted by the Consul General of Greece in Boston, with the support of the Alpha Omega Council and the 26.2 Foundation, the ceremony marked the official presentation of the winners’ wreaths to the Boston Athletic Association ahead of the 130th running of the Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America on Monday, April 20, 2026.
This year’s ceremony carried special significance, commemorating the 130th Boston Marathon, the 50th anniversary of the Alpha Omega Council, and the 80th anniversary of Stylianos Kyriakides’ historic victory in the 1946 Boston Marathon.
The olive wreaths, cut from the historic plains of Marathon, Greece, symbolize victory, peace, and the enduring ideals of freedom and democracy. First introduced to the Boston Marathon in 1933 and later formalized in 1984, the wreath ceremony connects the race’s ancient origins to its modern legacy.
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
The evening unfolded with a program that blended tradition, history, and tribute:
Alpha Omega Council President Harry J. Vlachos opened the ceremony, welcoming attendees and introducing His Eminence Metropolitan Methodios of Boston, who delivered the invocation.
A moving rendition of the Greek and American national anthems followed, performed by Zoe Behrakis.
Master of Ceremonies, Greek-American, five-time Boston Marathon charity runner and news anchor, Arielle Mitropoulos then welcomed guests, dignitaries, and marathon stakeholders, sharing personal reflections on the significance of the Boston Marathon and the enduring tradition of the wreath ceremony.
Former Alpha Omega Council President Peter Lemonias reflected on the legacy of Stylianos Kyriakides’ 1946 victory, before inviting Kyriakides’ son, Dimitri Kyriakides, and members of the Kyriakides delegation to the stage. Dimitri Kyriakides expressed gratitude for the wreath ceremony tradition which has evolved over the years honoring his father and presented a ceremonial gift to the Alpha Omega Council, which was a Stylianos Kyriakides jersey, honoring the bib number 77 he wore when he won the 50th Boston Marathon in 1946.
Senate President Karen Spilka offered remarks highlighting the lasting humanitarian and cultural impact of the Kyriakides legacy. A ceremonial gift, which included framed depictions of the Stylianos Kyriakides statue in Greece, presentation followed, honoring the delegation. Dimitri Kyriakides then delivered sincere remarks, expressing gratitude and reflecting on his father’s enduring influence.
Remarks continued from Consul General of Greece in Boston Honorable Symeon Tegos, who emphasized the symbolic and cultural importance of the wreaths as a gift from the people of Greece.
A signature moment of the evening featured the Boston Lykeion Ellinidon Maidens, whose traditional procession and placement of the wreaths honored ancient customs. Symeon Tegos then formally presented the wreaths to Chair of the Board of Governors for the Boston Athletic Association Board, Peter Brown.
President and Founder of the 26.2 Foundation and former Boston Marathon Race Director Timothy Kilduff and Immediate Past President of the Alpha Omega Council Paul Tsitsopoulos led a special olive branch presentation, symbolizing peace and victory. The branch was presented to 1976 Boston Marathon Champion Jack Fultz.
Timothy Kilduff invited all of the marathon champions in the room to join the stage, including Marathon Champion Meb Keflezighi, who offered reflections before joining fellow champions for a commemorative photo with the wreaths.
The evening concluded with a gift presented by Boston Athletic Association President and CEO Jack Fleming to Symeon Tegos, honoring his incredible work as Consul General of Greece in Boston.
SYMBOLISM & SIGNIFICANCE
The four gold olive wreaths – cut from the historic plains of Marathon, Greece – serve as enduring symbols of victory, peace, freedom, and democracy. Each wreath is inscribed:
“2026 Boston Marathon Champion
From the people of Greece in honor of 1946 Boston Marathon Champion Stylianos Kyriakides.”
This tradition, first introduced to the Boston Marathon in 1933 and formalized in 1984, continues to connect the race’s ancient Greek origins to its modern global legacy.
The ceremony also paid tribute to Stylianos Kyriakides’ humanitarian impact, as his 1946 victory helped generate international aid for post-war Greece – an inspiring legacy that continues to resonate eight decades later.
As Boston prepares for race day, the wreaths presented during Thursday evening’s ceremony will once again crown the champions – bridging ancient tradition with modern achievement and honoring a legacy that defines the spirit of the marathon – 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
MEDIA CONTACT:
Dena Panagopoulos
Founder, Dena Public Relations
914-806-7327
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ABOUT THE ALPHA OMEGA COUNCIL:
Alpha Omega Council is a non-profit philanthropic organization, based in Boston, Massachusetts, and, its mission is to promote patriotism to the United States and to cultivate the ideals of Hellenism, by supporting various scholarly, athletic, medical, charitable, scientific, literary, religious and educational activities throughout New England and the United States. The Alpha Omega Council is comprised of Americans of Hellenic ancestry in Business, Education, Academia, Medicine, Law, Politics, Science and other fields. Since its inception, the Alpha Omega Council has contributed over $2,000,000 to various philanthropic causes, not including the annual Peter Agris Memorial Journalism Scholarship Awards. Alpha Omega Council hosts various annual fundraising events including the Boston Marathon Wreath Ceremony, Greek Heritage Night, Golf Classic, Honors Gala and more. For more information on Alpha Omega Council, please visit www.alphaomegacouncil.org.
ABOUT THE 26.2 FOUNDATION:
The 26.2 Foundation is dedicated to advancing the global sport of marathoning while harnessing the power of the human spirit and its capacity for good. We are a non-profit organization with community roots in Hopkinton, MA and international reach. The Foundation’s vision is to be the global point of connection for the marathon community. Our signature project is the development of the International Marathon Center in Hopkinton, MA – designed to honor, celebrate and inspire the sport of marathoning. Our plans call for a dynamic visitor experience, hall of excellence, a state-of-the-art education and conference facility and more. For more information on the 26.2 Foundation, please visit www.26-2.org.
ABOUT THE BOSTON ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION (B.A.A.):
Established in 1887, the Boston Athletic Association is a non-profit organization with a mission of promoting a healthy lifestyle through sports, especially running. The B.A.A. manages the Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America, and supports comprehensive charity, youth, and year-round programming. The 130th Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America is scheduled to take place on Monday, April 20, 2026. The Boston Marathon is part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, along with international marathons in Tokyo, London, Sydney, Berlin, Chicago, and New York City. For more information on the B.A.A., please visit www.baa.org.
ABOUT WREATH CEREMONY HISTORY:
At the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896, Greece conceived of a 26-mile race following the route of the ancient Athenians in order to remember the Battle of Marathon. There was no official U.S. Olympic team in 1896, but there was a B.A.A. team that would make up the majority of the American delegation.
The B.A.A. established the first “Boston Marathon” the next year in 1897 and held it on Patriots’ Day; thus, connecting the new race with the Battle of Marathon, the Modern Olympic Games and the day we celebrate the courage of our own American citizen-soldiers, the Minutemen, who stood up in 1775 to an enormous military power to win our American liberty.
In 1984, Peter Agris of the Alpha Omega Council and Tim Kilduff, Race Director of the B.A.A., worked with Governor Michael Dukakis, Lt. Governor John Kerry, Boston Mayor Ray Flynn, and the Consul General of Greece in Boston to arrange for Olive Wreaths from Greece to be presented to the winners of the Boston Marathon.
While noted Mass legislator and parliamentarian George C. Demeter had introduced the Ancient Greek tradition of crowning Marathon winners with laurel wreaths from 1933 to 1945, the 1984 effort formalized the current Wreath Ceremony, which are also recognized today to reconfirm the fundamental connection of the Boston Marathon to Greece.
Since 1984, the Consul General of Greece in Boston has presented the Boston Athletic Association with olive branch wreaths to crown the four first place winners of the Boston Marathon. Each year, these wreaths are grown, cut, and hand-crafted in Greece, transmitting Classical Greece’s tradition of crowning its victors with olive wreaths to Boston, the “Athens of America”.
ABOUT STYLIANOS KYRIKIDES:
Stylianos Kyriakides competed in the Marathon for his native country of Greece, placing 11th. There he met fellow Berlin marathoner, Johnny Kelley of Boston, who encouraged him to come to America and to participate in the Boston Marathon. However, on the day of the 1938 Boston Marathon, Kyriakides wore new running shoes, causing his feet to bleed, costing him the race. Kyriakides returned to Greece, where he barely survived the Nazi occupation. With the Greek Civil War following on the heels of World War II, and with thousands of countrymen still dying from starvation following their heroic and critical resistance to WWI fascism, Kyriakides felt compelled to run the Boston Marathon again in 1946, this time not for his own personal success, but to draw America’s attention to Greece’s condition. So, in 1946 Kyriakides returned to Boston, but was so emaciated from the lack of food in war-ravaged Greece, he was told by doctors in Boston that he would not be allowed to run because they were afraid he would die in the streets. Nevertheless, Kyriakides ran and won the Marathon. According to a newspaper report, he was running neck and neck with Kelley nearing the finish line, when an old man shouted from the crowd, “For Greece, for your children!” motivating Kyriakides to pull away and win the race in 2:29:27, a new record time. According to Life magazine he shouted, “For Greece” as he crossed the finish line.
Nearly a million people greeted Kyriakides on his return to Athens in May 1946, when he came back with boat loads of food, medicine, clothing and other essentials donated by generous Americans who read of his cause and victory. His story has inspired generations of runners, and he is remembered as one of the greatest figures in the history of the Boston Marathon and American sport. He is considered the first in a long line of charitable runners-those who run for the good and for virtue.
