Boston, Massachusetts
The 3rd Monday in April in Massachusetts (and Maine because they use to be a part of Massachusetts) is "kind of a holiday" called Patriots' Day. No it is not in celebration of the NFL team. It is actually a holiday that celebrates the anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, which were the first battles of the American Revolutionary War. However, many people know it better (especially in Boston) as Marathon Monday because it is the day that many Boston streets are closed and the Boston Marathon is held. I call it "kind of a holiday" because it is only a civic holiday so not everything is closed and very few people get paid to work it.....but lots of people seem to take the day off.
The stretch of the route that I decided to watch from.
A few of the people that lined the street.
I did have a bit of a scheduling issue that could have effected my ability to attend the marathon. I got off work at 0730 that morning after working a 12 hour night shift and had to switch back over to work a day shift on Tuesday. In the end I decided that the best thing to do was go home after work, shower, grab some food and then head back into the city for the start of the marathon. I planned to stay for just a little bit and then head back home to bed. It did actually work out pretty well although I still felt like a walking zombie at work on Tuesday but with a quick turn around like that it was expected (anyone who works shift work is probably feeling my pain right now).
The train was pretty busy as there was also a Red Sox game that morning. Who decided to schedule a ball game at the same time as the marathon is beyond me. It might not have been that big of an issue if Fenway Park did not sit on the same T-line as the marathon. Oh and it also happens to sit at the "One Mile to Go" mark. The game is scheduled in the morning so that the game would end close to when runners would be coming through there area. However, now the marathon starts earlier so by the time the game ends the top runners are already back in their hotels getting massages. The "One Mile to Go" mark happened to be my destination so I ignored the crowds and found myself a nice piece of sidewalk to watch the race.
The time on the clock you can see is for the wheelchair competitors who started before the runners.
The Boston Marathon has been around since 1897. It is the oldest annual marathons in the world and one of the 5 World Marathon Majors (the other 4 being Berlin, London, Chicago and New York City). The course runs 42 kilometres (26 miles). Participants of course include some of the top marathoners in the world, both male and female as well as wheelchair athletes. The rest of the field, on average 20,000 people, are amateurs of all different levels. The Boston Marathon is the only American marathon that requires a qualifying time so for many people, just getting here is an achievement in itself.
One of the many wheelchair athletes who completed the course. There were many different versions of wheelchairs in the race. Some athletes were actually lying down almost completely flat.
This is the first place female Teyba Erkesso from Ethiopia. She just barely beat Tatyana Pushkareva of Russia who finished just 3 one-hundredths of a second behind.
These are the 3rd and 4th place finishers in the women's race. In front is Waynishet Girma of Ethiopia and in the back in Salina Kosgei of Kenya. Some place in the last mile Kosgei over took Girma to finish 3rd. They were separated by just one one-hundredth of a second.......that's a photo finish in a marathon. How fun.
This is the first place male, Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot of Kenya. He ran the course in just over 2 hours and 5 minutes.....a new course record.
These are the 2nd and 3rd place males, Tekeste Kebede and Deribe Merga both of Ethiopia. They are actually not as close to each other as they appear in this picture. In the end they finished about a second apart.
A few of the amateur males and females in the race along with a group from the US Army who walked the marathon.....wearing combat boots and carrying full kits. I have been told that a generic kit weighs about 40 lbs but depending on the mission it could with up to 150lbs. I certainly hope these guys didn't volunteer to carry more than the generic kit.
As a lover of all sports I certainly had no choice but to experience the marathon while in Boston. So glad I sacrificed some sleep to do so. What a great experience. I must say though after watching the faces of some of the runners.....I have no desire to run a marathon anytime soon.
Julie
No comments:
Post a Comment