On Marathon Monday, Boston University students, along with other Boston residents, lined the streets of Boston to support the thousands of runners competing in this year’s marathon. Although several students said they appreciated the marathon’s long history, many said they were there to have a good time.
Many BU students came out to show their support for the approximately 30,000 runners who ran near BU’s South Campus and along Commonwealth Avenue in Kenmore for the 121st Boston Marathon. Students gathered in groups and cheered along the track.
Several students explained the importance of them watching the marathon. Matthew Gorab, a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences, said he wanted to watch the marathon because of its interconnectedness with the city of Boston.
“It’s such an iconic part of Boston for me and personally, I think it’s a good testimony … of Boston’s identity,” Gorab said. “It’s an essential and must if you are in Boston.”
Camille McDaniel, a sophomore in the College of Communication, said she was also looking forward to witnessing this iconic moment because she didn’t live in Boston until coming to BU.
“I love the idea of taking part in a Boston tradition, especially since I’m not from here,” McDaniel said. “It’s also so inspiring to see the runners. Twenty-six miles is insane. The atmosphere is amazing, too. Everyone is so supportive and full of energy.”
Kelly Chiang, a sophomore in CAS, said she thinks BU is especially lucky to be so close to the marathon.
“I think it’s a wonderful event, and it has such a long history,” Chiang said. “It’s just amazing that it goes through campus. It’s a joy every year.”
Kylie Shen, a first-year graduate student in CAS, said she was especially excited to watch the marathon because her uncle is running this year.
“It’s great to get the day off school, but it’s also just so impressive to see people run that distance,” Shen said. “I think it’s pretty incredible.”
Other students who are Boston natives said they appreciated continuing their traditions.
Nadezhda Oleinik, a freshman in the Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, said she has grown up watching the Boston Marathon, and looks forward to it every year.
“As someone from Boston, I think it’s a great way to unite the city,” Oleinik said. “It’s such a beautiful day to unite together and fight through everything because we’re Bostonians.”
Krushali Shah, a longtime Boston resident, watched the marathon for the first time this year.
“I’ve lived in Boston for years, but this is my first time going to watch, I’m going with my friends,” the CAS freshman said. “The spirit is different today. Everyone has more spirit today, I guess because of their [Boston] pride.”
Several students spoke about their connection to the phrase “Boston Strong,” which became popular after the 2013 marathon bombings.
Sukhwinder Dhillon, a junior in Sargent, said he appreciated the “Boston Strong” message after watching the marathon for the third time.
“[Marathon Monday] is one day that Boston as a whole comes together very united,” Dhillon said. “I guess it also has to do with the bombing that happened with the whole ‘Boston Strong’ message. It’s a day people get together and love being in Boston.”
Sarah Spiker, a freshman in the College of General Studies, wore a Boston Strong shirt to the marathon to voice her support.
“My brother is a runner, and he’s planning to run the Boston Marathon in the next few years,” Spiker said. “So for me, just being around the race and being here is an energizing feeling. Everyone is really excited regardless of what they’re doing. The city is really energized, and it’s a really good time to be here.”
Other students said they enjoyed being able to spend the day at the marathon instead of their classes.
Constanza Pena Vitienes, a freshman in COM, said she was excited to witness her first Boston Marathon.
“I love cheering everyone on with friends,” Pena Vitienes said. “I like the beautiful weather today especially.”
Brittany Kinch, a senior in CAS, said she came out to the marathon to take photos for her photojournalism class.
“There’s a breeze, like it’s awesome,” Kinch said. “I’ve never seen the wheelchair race before, so that’s really cool. Like you need a lot of strength, a lot of willpower to do this, so I’m amazed. I’m just really excited to see the first runners cross because I’ve never seen the first ones, so that’ll be really exciting to see.”
Alexandra Lam, a junior in CAS, volunteered at the marathon on behalf of her sorority.
“We’ve been doing this for a really long time. I know alumnas from 10 years ago who were doing it,” Lam said. “When I heard how big the marathon was, I was really excited to come out and I thought I should be a part of it. The bombing makes me want to volunteer more knowing we still do the Boston marathon after the bombing happened and it’s important to support the runners.”
Alana Levene, Ellie French, Laney Ruckstuhl and Noor Adatia contributed to the reporting of this article.
