This year marked the 120th anniversary of one of Boston’s most beloved events, the Boston Marathon. Over 30,000 runners from all over the world lined up in Hopkinton to make the 26.2-mile trek to Boylston Street. This is no ordinary race for the city of Boston. It is actually a citywide holiday (Patriots Day) that everyone all over the state celebrates!
For many in the Boston area, the day involves heading down to the nearest spectator spots along the race route to cheer on the impressive athletes. Some of the best spots to see the race are the finish line in Copley Square, heartbreak hill by Boston College, and anywhere along Commonwealth Ave.
Even if you aren’t too interested in watching marathon races, the Boston Marathon is something you are guaranteed to enjoy. The atmosphere of the race is completely different then anything you will ever experience! Everyone is cheering on every last one of the runners as they face quite possibly one of the most challenging races of their entire lives. You can’t help but join in the banter and really route for these people. My personal favorite part of the race is seeing the look on the runners faces as they turn onto Boylston street and hear the chants of the crowd carrying them to the finish line. Many runners say that the crowd is actually what keeps them going towards the end.
Of course, once they reach the finish line, the look of accomplishment fills the runners faces and makes the crowd explode with even more cheering. It is an incredible thing to experience! This year’s winners were Lemi Berhanu Hayle from Ethiopia for the men’s race, and Atsede Baysa for the women, also from Ethiopia. Both finished under 2 ½ hours.
This year was also the 3rd anniversary of the Boston bombings, now officially named One Boston Day (4/15). Many runners that crossed the finish line were victims of the tragedy and they truly embodied the saying ‘Boston Strong’. Seeing these people reach the finish line – regardless of their struggles – is truly breathtaking.
This year’s race also included some finish line proposals and even a Mark Wahlberg sighting! (Wahlberg is in Boston to film scenes for his upcoming movie “Patriots Day”, which is about the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings). Each runner has a story about what brought them to this race and why they run it… and that is perhaps the reason I love the marathon so much. If you ever have the opportunity to attend this event, I truly recommend you making it a priority. Nothing beats standing Boston Strong with the rest of the city on this special day.