Pre- Marathon:
Since I live in New Jersey and have never been to Boston, I took a trip there for the weekend of the marathon. Now, I can see why everyone from Massachusetts is so obsessed with it! It is so gorgeous there and I definitely plan to visit more. While I was there, I took a tour of the Boston Marathon Museum, located by Faneuil Hall in North Market. It is filled with history behind the Marathon, displaying articles, pictures, and even some medals from past races. It was really awesome to see the back story on one of Boston’s longest traditions, and I really encourage you to check it out if you’re ever in the Boston area. I will be there to make my own memories at the 119th Boston Marathon.
Marathon Monday:
It’s 4:30 AM, and instead of sleeping, I get up and admire the Boston city skyline. It’s my first time seeing it, and I have to say, it’s breath-taking. Today I’ll be taking part as a volunteer with my co-ed service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega, and I couldn’t be more excited for what the day has in store for me.
Around 5, a few friends and I stop for Dunk’s, and then I was on my way. It’s a little hard to stay awake, even with the coffee.
The sun rises, and we reach the volunteer check-in around 7. We were assigned to volunteer around the start line. The anticipation of what was to come grew as we walked through the streets of Hopkinton. I was given an orange volunteer jacket and lanyard, and immediately I felt like I was a part of something much bigger than myself or even my fraternity. This is the Boston community at large, and it was an honor to be a part of it, even for just a day.
We were assigned to a street a few blocks from the start line. Our job was to collect clothes that the runners wished to donate and put them in bags. The clothes were going to Big Brothers Big Sisters, an organization that pairs adults, or “Bigs” with children in need, or “Littles”, in order to point them on the path to success. Many of the runners gave their warm-up clothing to us to donate. Some of the clothes were brand-new, which showed how much the runners care about helping the community.
The biggest participant in this year’s marathon was the rain. Runners and volunteers were soaked from head to toe. We even had to break out the ponchos for ourselves at one point. Part of our volunteering evolved into staying positive and cheering on the runners. The rain made our job a little more difficult to do, but not impossible. Despite that, the runners carried on as if it were a sunny, warm day, and we did the same.
All morning, my brothers and I stood on the sidelines, and just from watching, it’s clear to see how passionate and dedicated these runners are to themselves and to this marathon. I had the opportunity to meet a few of them and hear their stories about how they got into running, and why they continue to run each year. Some of the runners had been running Boston Marathon for decades! It was really inspiring to be that support system for them.
I saw a few interesting characters running – someone dressed up as Olaf, another as Uncle Sam, a woman in a onesie, and yet another in an Elvis wig. My inner fangirl could not be contained.
The morning was long, and although the weather was less than agreeable, it was still incredible to be there. After all the waves of runners past, we collected the bags of clothes and brought them to a truck to pack them up. The volunteer committee even provided us lunch as a thank you for our hard work!
Overall, I had a great experience, and I definitely plan on volunteering again next year. Boston has such a big heart, and it showed that day. Until next year, HCXO!
Cover Photo Credit / All other photos used in this article are the author’s.