The most powerful brand of all

For some of us, there is no brand more powerful than the Boston Marathon.  Every year, tens of thousands of die-hard runners toil for hours on end, often in impossible weather conditions, to achieve that elusive "BQ" (Boston Qualifier) - a marathon time that qualifies them to participate in that exalted race, and of course, to proudly wear the Boston Marathon jacket after the event.

Ironically, there are much better marathons out there, and you don't have to qualify for them.  Boston is not particularly well marshaled, the course is not particularly scenic, and lines for buses and toilets are uncharacteristically long.  All of this is unimportant, though - what any runner will tell you is that there is only one Boston.  It seems to me that this epitomizes what branding is all about.