On Monday, April 16th, Boston held its 116th Boston Marathon stretching from Hopkinton to 26.2 miles into the heart of the city. Marathoners from around the world come to Boston every year for this famous Patriots’ Day event and push themselves to the finish line. However, this year, they faced a hard challenge that was quite unexpected: the heat.
In the past years, the Boston Marathon has faced cool temperatures ranging from 60 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. To the disadvantage of the runners, this year was a hike to 90 degrees Fahrenheit, which not only affected their ability to run, but there were serious side effects on the health of the participants.
This year, in particular, the medical team of the marathon did not take any risks in allowing runners to push themselves over their limits. By the 12th mile, they began to eliminate runners who they felt would need medical attention early on in the race. They also made sure to provide the runners with plenty of liquids such as Gatorade, water, and even watermelon.
Aside from the health of the runners, there were also some medical emergencies in the crowds of cheerers, such fainting. For the observers, the city was a huge mess with crowds of out-of-towners and blocked roads that was inconvenient for many who are not participating in the events. In addition, many local shops were closed for Patriots’ Day and those that were open were full of tourists and crowds of locals.
Nevertheless, the inconveniences do not outweigh the festive day of the marathon. It is quite an experience that one can only observe and experience in person. Runners from around the world train every year to make the 26.2 miles and it’s a popular event on many bucket lists. Boston attracts many tourists around this time of year and it is a great way to meet Bostonians but also foreigners from around the world, all in the heart of the city that can offer festivities and nightlife.