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Hundreds of thousands came out in support of the runners of the 119th Boston Marathon on Monday, sponsored by the Boston Athletic Association. Coming from all reaches of the nation and world, the spectators lined the 26.2-mile route to cheer on friends, family members, professional runners and several celebrity runners.
Jane Brine, 63, of Westford, was supporting her close friend in the division of sub-elite runners, and said she is an avid fan of the marathon.
“We have a friend that runs, and he’s in the top 50, so he’s a sub-elite, and then a couple troopers that we know are running,” she said. “I love the marathon, absolutely love it. It’s a great source of Massachusetts pride.”
Spectators cheered and wore supportive messages, both in celebration of the annual marathon and in remembrance of the two bombs that went off at the 2013 Boston Marathon finish line, killing three and injuring more than 260.
Jackie O’Brian, 25, of Allston, said the term “Boston Strong,” which circulated around the Boston community in the weeks after the bombings, means a lot to her.
“It means community, and the spirit where I grew up, and where we all live supporting each other,” she said. “[Boston Mayor] Marty Walsh made a ‘Boston Strong’ [One Boston] Day, which I think is great, helping each other and looking out for each other and things like that.”
Melissa Miranda, 28, of Beacon Hill, is a member of the Cambridge Running Club, and said she attended the marathon to support her fellow club members.
“I’m really excited to see all of my friends come through. I’ve seen them train, and I know how hard it is,” she said. “The energy in the city is infectious. You can feel it, all the fans, all the cheering, and all the hard work that you can see out there.”
Zach Burrus, 30, of Fenway, described Marathon Monday as one of the “biggest days of the year” in the city.
“Especially after 2013, it’s a rallying together of the city and the community, so it goes beyond running. It’s just a big community, and a feeling of support here in the city,” he said. “This year, one of my good friends is running, so she came in from California to run. I moved here last year and had a great time. I’m a runner too, so I want to support everyone I can.”
Burrus said there is also a social aspect to supporting the runners, which united a group of his friends.
“Watching my friend run will be a really cool experience,” Burrus said. “Just being a part of the community, everyone rallying around each other, and being with my group of friends, who are all coming together, because we don’t often get to see each other enough.”
Despite wind chills, low temperatures and persistent rain showers, the resilient runners continued down Beacon Street, near Boston University’s South Campus, and through Kenmore Square.
Throughout the afternoon, police presence was still high, with security lining the road and patrolling both sides of the train tracks. Adidas signs were present all along the route, and several different colored umbrellas protected the dedicated viewers.
Timothy Oates, 24, of Brighton, said his favorite part of Patriot’s Day each year is watching the non-elite runners.
“You can tell just by watching them how passionate they are about it and that it is more than just a race to them,” he said. “They may be running for a cause they are passionate about, running their first marathon or [their] 20th.”
Oates also said this year’s marathon represents a return to normalcy.
“Last year’s marathon was important to get through for healing purposes,” Oates said. “People may have been somewhat on edge when it came to feeling secure, but now we can go back to the Boston Marathon we knew from before all the while keeping the victims and injured in mind.”
Domenic Vincenzo, 39, of Back Bay, said this year’s marathon has a different tone the previous year, though the Marathon bombings are still fresh in the minds of community members.
“With two years gone by since the bombing, I don’t think people will have the sense of fear like they did last year,” he said. “Last year, people constantly were surveying the crowd by looking for suspicious behavior. I think bystanders will be more relaxed this year.”
Vincenzo said to him, “Boston Strong” means seeing the entire community as one.
“[It means] a sense of camaraderie when people of different races and religions come together as one. It should be like that all year long and all over,” Vincenzo said. “When events like this take place, sometimes people see beyond race and skin color and treat people as equals.”
Angela Sodano, 34, of Brighton, has run in the Boston Marathon in years past and said that though the bombings have changed the meaning of the marathon for some, people are still running each year for charities and larger purposes.
“I don’t think it’s changed, really at all [since then], except for the fact that there is more people, which I think is amazing, and there’s a lot of fundraising going on for charities,” she said. “Just seeing the city come together is fantastic.”
Sodano also said with increased security throughout the city on the day of marathon, all runners and spectators can feel safe.
“I think for the most part, everyone feels very safe being here,” she said. “I don’t think anyone is really scared about anything, and people are just looking forward to having the best day that we always have in Boston.”
Julia Metjian and Olivia Quintana contributed to the reporting of this article.
