Based on its Hipparcos proper motion , we propose that the high-mass X-ray binary HD153919/4U1700-37 originates in the OB association Sco OB1 .
At a distance of 1.9 kpc the space velocity of 4U1700-37 with respect to Sco OB1 is 75 km s ^ { -1 } .
This runaway velocity indicates that the progenitor of the compact X-ray source lost about 7 M _ { \odot } during the ( assumed symmetric ) supernova explosion .
The system ’ s kinematical age is about 2 \pm 0.5 million years which marks the date of the supernova explosion forming the compact object .
The present age of Sco OB1 is \la 8 Myr ; its suggested core , NGC 6231 , seems to be somewhat younger ( \sim 5 Myr ) .
If HD153919/4U1700-37 was born as a member of Sco OB1 , this implies that the initially most massive star in the system terminated its evolution within \la 6 million years , corresponding to an initial mass \ga 30 M _ { \odot } .
With these parameters the evolution of the binary system can be constrained .