Untila few years ago, a piece on the Boston Marathon would have opened with the words, “Today in the U.S. is Patriots’ Day, and like every Patriots’ Day we run one – if not the most famous – marathon in the world.”
For some time, however, things have changed, and many events have undergone cancellations or recalculations. This year, for example, the oldest and most famous marathon in the world-Boston, that is-is not run on Patriots Day, which falls in April, but today, Monday, October 11, 2021. In fact, after the cancellation of the 2020 one due to pandemic, this year’s was postponed to the fall because there were still no sanitary conditions to carry it out quietly last spring.
Something has changed
The day chosen-October 11 precisely-is not random, or rather: it is in the case of this marathon. It is in fact Indigenous Peoples’ Day, the day that always falls on the second Monday in October that celebrates the cultures and histories of indigenous peoples native to the United States. The coincidence could not help but stir up controversy, and so the organization was quick to apologize and specify that this was pure coincidence and that there was no intention to disrespect and overshadow a celebration as deeply felt as Indigenous People’s Day. Indeed, to prove it, they decided to name this edition after Ellison “Tarzan” Brown, a member of the Narragansett Tribe of Rhode Island who won it in 1936 and 1939.
And this is not the only change: the maximum number of participants, as is to be expected given the continuing, though under control, pandemic situation has been limited to 20,000, while 200,000 masks have been ordered for personnel involved in the event.
To underscore the uniqueness of this edition, among the so-called “Grand Marshals,” i.e., dignitaries who patronize the event, there will be 8 workers employed on the front lines against Covid, including doctors, female doctors and nurses.
A marathon made of stories and traditions
One of the many beauties of this marathon lies in its stories and traditions. One of them is undoubtedly that, on marathon day, the local Red Sox baseball team always plays. He will do so again this year, although not according to the schedule he would (or did) face in April: he will in fact play with the Tampa Bay Rays.
Then there are many individual stories that have Boston as a backdrop. There is that of Derm Holwell who began participating in 1991 and will run his 30th consecutive Boston Marathon this year. There is that of the wife of a cancer patient who runs it to raise money for her husband’s treatment. There’s that of Mike Mendoza, a 42-year-old ex-Marine and sharpshooter who ran the Chicago Marathon on Sunday and will be on the grid Monday where it says “It all starts here” to run another. All to demonstrate the importance of physical activity in recovery therapies after wartime trauma (he was involved in an enemy attack while protecting a convoy and suffered collapsed lungs and internal organ damage).
The most beloved
The affection for the Boston Marathon is also clear from the massive turnout of the public: about half a million people who, at least in past editions, crowded along the 42-mile course to cheer runners, any runners.
Then there are some remarkable points, now known worldwide. Three out of all: the first is the start in Hopkinton where it simply says “It all starts here.” “It all starts here.” Clear no?
And then the Scream Tunnel, where screaming Wellesley College students offer marathon runners their “Free Kiss”-not the ultimate in guaranteeing the best performance, but the ultimate in love one can receive from strangers.
Then, when there are 10 km to go and you think it’s done, comes Hearthbreak Hill, the last in a series of three climbs that literally “breaks your heart.” And here you can really see who has the stuff.
A very long story
To understand how old it is I will only tell you that it is 125 years old this year (to understand, the first “modern” one was the London Olympics, and we are talking about 1922, so … less than 123 years ago).
A VERY ANCIENT PASSION
In fact, it was 1897 when the first edition was run, and it was born on the wave of enthusiasm that had sparked that of the Greek Olympic Games the year before. Eighteen participated; at the centennial one in 1996 there were 38,708 entrants, 36,748 at the start and 35,868 finishers. Each year Boston always registers more than 30,000 entrants, and while it is considered a “local” marathon, the backgrounds are among the most varied and obviously not just American.
BOSTON IN PINK.
This marathon also has an important place in the history of sports, especially when it is declined by women. Here she unofficially ran as the first woman in the world: it was 1966, and Roberta Gibb decided that no matter what, she would run it. And she succeeded, helped also by the support of the competitors (men, of course) who were won over by her determination and who protected her against the competition judges. Her race unfortunately was not officially recognized until 1986, when the BAA (the association that organizes the marathon) did not invite her to run it, officially and only after she had fought for her record to be recognized over Kathrine Switzer, who ran it in 1967 registering as K. Switzer, “fooling” the judges who took her for a man. Since 1972 Boston has finally been open to women (including Rosie Ruiz, who stole it), and last year Roberta, now 75, served as its Grand Marshal.
BOSTON’S MOST TRAGIC
The biggest drama that happened in Boston is definitely that of April 15, 2013. Exactly at the 4th hour, 9 minutes and 44 seconds 2 devices exploded about 200 meters from the arrival on Boylston Street resulting in 3 deaths and 264 injuries. A few days later the perpetrators are identified and arrested: they are two immigrant brothers of Chechen origin. One of the two died in the firefight that broke out during their capture, the other escaped but was arrested a few days later.
To thwart new attacks, a few days ago the entire marathon course was scanned by a helicopter capable of detecting suspicious radiation, potentially from dirty bombs. https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/10/nuclear-security-helicopter-scours-boston-marathon-route-for-radiation/
RECORDS.
Beyond the participants and spectators and history, Boston is also famous for the records set there. One over all: that of Geoffrey Mutai who ran it in 2011 in 2:03:02 (unofficial world record), unfortunately not having his result validated due to elevation gains greater than allowed by the IAAF.
UNIQUE IN THE WORLD.
A unique route, one of the warmest and most sympathetic audiences, and a very long history. This is the Boston Marathon. Because as a famous motto of his says, “There are many races, but there is only one Boston Marathon.”
(Cover: official Boston Marathon Twitter account)