Tortoise and the Hare Sculpture

I was looking out the window of my hotel room at the Copley Fairmount Plaza and I saw a small town green between the hotel and the Trinity Church. In the green, I saw a sculpture of a tortoise and a hare!
Their significance has to do with the Boston Marathon, which has been run in these streets since 1896. «The Tortoise and Hare» was sculpted by Nancy Schön, and it was dedicated in 1996 to celebrate the Marathon’s 100^th anniversary.
Do you remember the story of the tortoise and the hare? It’s one of Aesop’s fables and reminds us that «slow and steady wins the race.»
I found a nice quote from the sculptor explaining the metaphor.
She said «it represents the wide variety of people who participate in the marathon — people of all ages, shapes and sizes, many of whom finish, but walk over the finish line. Some of the marathon runners I know run just to finish, they don’t expect to win, they are challenged and want to have that wonderful sense of accomplishment. Persistence pays off. Slow and steady wins the race. They want to be a part of one of the most important sports event in the country…
I hope that children will cherish these animals — pat them, hug them and learn the important lesson that the fable teaches. After all, children are our future and they are the runners and citizens of tomorrow.»
How beautiful is that?