On April 19, 1897 (Patriot's Day in New England), 15 runners appeared in the small town of Ashland, Massachusetts. They planned to run 25 miles along mostly dirt roads into downtown Boston.

This was the first Boston Athletic Association Marathon.

On April 15, 1996, 38,000 runners ran that same route, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the world's most prestigious road race. The roads have all been paved. The official distance is now 26 miles 385 yards. The starting line has moved up the road to Hopkinton. But one fact about the Boston Marathon never changes: You have to cover the distance on foot.

Hal Higdon has covered that distance often. Senior Writer for Runner's World, Higdon first ran Boston in 1959, failing to finish. Five years later, he crossed the line first American. In 1996, he ran his 18th Boston and 100th career marathon.

Higdon has now written the definitive book on the Boston Marathon, describing the drama of an event that excites not only the thousands who run it, but also the millions who watch them run.

"Boston: A Century of Running" is a crisply written and elegantly designed book that will place every reader on the starting line next to the greats of running: from Clarence DeMar and Johnny Kelley to Cosmas Ndeti and Uta Pippig. "Boston: A Century of Running" contains more than 200 photos, not only of the fast runners up front but those mid-packers for whom Boston is a mission, its finisher's medal a Holy Grail.

In its 100th year, the Boston Marathon is more than a running race, it's a Total Experience. Boston is running's equivalent of the Indy 500, the Kentucky Derby, the Super Bowl. But only at Boston can an ordinary athlete qualify to compete with the elite.

Boston has been on the cutting edge of several revolutions. The doctors, who began running Boston in the 1960s, proved that running could be good for your health. The women, who invaded the once all-male race, proved that they too could compete as equals.

In "Boston: A Century of Running," Hal Higdon tells all that and more. He has captured the greatness of a great event.