Infographic: Boston Marathon by the Numbers

Though he’s perhaps best known for his work in the U.K., Simon Amstell's U.S. fan base is growing quickly, and with good reason. The comedian offers a dark and self-deprecating mix of personal anecdotes, failings, and philosophical discussion that are at once relatable and shamelessly funny. We chatted with him at home in London as he was preparing to hop across the pond; see him at the Wilbur Theatre on April 19.

Not too long ago, Boston native Nick MacDonald was working at Dunkin' Donuts when he was discovered by Hotel Commonwealth's then-director of operations. Working on a hunch that MacDonald would be a natural in the hotel industry, he offered him a job—and the rest is history.

 On Marathon Monday in 2013, Richard “Dic” Donohue was just another man in uniform, working as a transit police officer for the city of Boston. One year later, he’s become a symbol of survival after being struck during a shoot-out in Watertown between police and Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.

 The Boston Marathon began its trek through the streets of the city in 1897, making it the oldest annual marathon in the world. Though the race originally started in Ashland, in 1925, it was moved to the corner of Ash Street and East Main Street in Hopkinton in order to conform to new Olympic standards set by Queen Alexandria and King Edward VII.

 The first time John Stoller ran the Boston Marathon, it was sort of an accident. A casual runner, he had planned to jog alongside a friend for a few miles and then stop in Wellesley, but he kept challenging himself to run farther until he finally decided to just finish the race.

 Brothers JP and Paul Norden were cheering on a friend at last year’s Boston Marathon when the bombs went off. Standing directly beside the blast, the brothers—and Paul’s girlfriend Jacqui—were severely injured. Both JP and Paul ended up losing part of their right legs.

Running her first Boston Marathon in 2013, Shonna Cirone made it up Heartbreak Hill, ran through the Wellesley “scream tunnel,” and was almost to Kenmore Square when she was instructed to stop. Something had happened at the finish line, and the race was over. Unable to reach her friends by phone, she decided to continue walking into the city.