Monday, April 18
Tom Brady Wishes Luck to Boston Marathon Survivor
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady posted a photo on Facebook with Boston bombing survivor and amputee, Adrianne Haslet, wishing her luck as she competes in the race for the first time since suffering severe injuries in 2013.
The photo is from 2014, when Haslett ceremonially crossed the finish line accompanied by her brothers—who both ran the entire course.
Mark Wahlberg Films at Finish Line
Actor Mark Wahlberg was at the marathon's finish line early Monday, filming scenes for the movie Patriots’ Day. The movie will tell the firsthand story of Police Commissioner Ed Davis's experiences related to the Boston Marathon bombings. Wahlberg appears as a police officer in the film.
Photo Finish
The men’s push rim race came down to an extremely close finish among three competitors. Marcel Hug of Switzerland, 30, won in 1:24:01, his second straight victory at Boston. Hug was followed by Ernst Van Dyk of Russia in 1:24:02 and Kurt Fearnley of Australia in 1:24:03.
In the women's push rim, Tatyana McFadden, 26, handily won her fourth Boston Marathon title, in 1:42:16. McFadden was followed by Manuela Schar of Switzerland in 1:43:30 and Wakako Tsuchida of Japan in 1:43:34.
Saturday, April 16
U.S. Olympians Throw Out First Pitch at Fenway
American distance stars Meb Keflezighi, Shalane Flanagan, Amy Cragg, and Desiree Linden threw out the first pitch at the Red Sox-Blue Jays game at Fenway Park Saturday afternoon.
This was not Meb's first time to the mound. He also threw out the first pitch in 2014, days after his Boston Marathon victory. The trading card company Topps honored Keflezighi with a baseball card after that outing at Fenway.
The four marathoners, all of whom qualified for the U.S. Olympic marathon team in February, are not running the Boston Marathon on Monday as they train for the Rio games in August. But they did bring some good luck to the home team, who won 4–2.
Friday, April 15
Therapy Dogs Return to Boston Marathon Finish
People were tentative at first when they spotted Blueberry and Maximus. The dogs, in vests, wandered next to their owners, steps away from the site of the 2013 Boston bombings.
A woman approached the dogs and quietly asked, “Can I pet them?”
“Absolutely,” replied Maura Porter, one of the owners. “That’s why we're here.” The woman knelt on the sidewalk as Blueberry, a pit bull, began licking her face.
The dogs are part of the organization Dog Bones Therapy, which provides comfort for people in trauma. For three years at the Boston Marathon, they have returned to the site of the bombings to greet survivors and members of the public with licks and a scratch behind the ears.
“People tell these dogs things they won’t tell other people,” Porter said. She came to Boylston Street two weeks after the bombings with Blueberry. They’ve returned each year since.
After a few minutes in front of Marathon Sports and the finish line, the pooches went to the nearby Old South Church where survivors were gathering for an all day remembrance event.
Runners, Survivors, and City Officials Mark Three-Year Anniversary of Boston Bombings
About 100 people gathered in front of the Marathon Sports running store on Boylston Street to honor the three-year anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombings.
As bagpipes played Amazing Grace, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and family members of the victims laid a wreath at the spot of the first bombing, which occurred at 2:49 p.m. on April 15, 2013. The ceremony was followed by a brief moment of silence.
Mixed in the crowd wearing his signature white cowboy hat was Carlos Arredondo, who’s actions in helping to treat injured spectator Jeff Bauman after the explosion will be portrayed in a film starring Jake Gyllenhall, titled Stronger.
In a quiet moment, minutes before the ceremony, a man wearing an American flag hat began tying wooden crosses to a tree next to the street. Each cross bore an image of the three victims killed after the explosions.
Blaine Krauter, a member of the bomb squad in College Station, Texas, attended the ceremony with his wife. He will be running his first Boston Marathon on Monday.
“We came to honor those who were killed and injured, to pay our respects,” Krauter said. A six-time marathoner, he was inspired to sign up for Boston after the attacks in 2013.
Boston will hold a citywide moment of silence at 2:49 p.m.
Wednesday, April 13
If you’re in Boston this evening, there’s still a few tickets available for the Bobbi Gibb Marathon Sculpture Project Fundraiser. Gibb, now a dedicated sculptor, was the first woman to run the Boston Marathon 50 years ago, in 1966, paving the way for the thousands of women who have run it since.
The project is raising funds so that she can create the first life-size sculpture of a woman runner along the course, to join other sculptures of male runners. The event will include a conversation between Gibb and legendary marathoner Bill Rodgers. It will be moderated by Amby Burfoot, Runner’s World’s own editor-at-large and author of First Ladies of Running. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Hopkinton Country Club.
Tuesday, April 12
With every running of the Boston Marathon over its 120 years, there have been stories that need to be told—from the elite racers to the first timers. Boston’s public broadcasting outlet WGBH News will capture that spirit with a week-long video series that embraces the race that distance runners strive to line up for.
Leading up to the Boston Marathon, WGBH News will be publishing “26.2” short videos to document the history, the community, and the people that make up the world’s oldest annual marathon. The series captures the true nature of the race by highlighting local runners in their preparation, while also getting insight into the event with legendary figures such as Roberta Gibb and Race Director Dave McGillivray.
“With the world’s most preeminent marathon happening in our own backyard, WGBH is uniquely positioned to tell these remarkable stories from first timers to legends," said Greg Shea, director. “It’s been really fun working with my team, including Producer Cori Brosnahan and Social Media Producer Jackie Bruleigh, to incorporate archival treasures which WGBH produced on the Boston Marathon in 1979 and 1980. Seeing what the city, spectators, and runners looked like during this pivotal time for running has been fascinating.”
The first video, “The Great Unknown,” was released on Monday and illustrates how many runners feel heading into the race—full of excitement, apprehension, and nerves.
Additional videos will be released throughout the week and include how runners in the northeast prepare by training through frigid temperatures, an interview with last year’s women’s champion Caroline Rotich, a discussion of the dominance African runners have had over the past 20 years, and how runners push through pain and mental anguish to conquer the famous Heartbreak Hill.
Watch the full series on wgbhnews.org/bostonmarathon, and follow WGBH on Facebook and Twitter for more local updates.
Boston Street Banners Feature Crowdsourced Images
In the month leading up to the Boston Marathon, approximately 500 street banners have been hung in the city of Boston, promoting the race. This year, for the first time ever, they’ll be supplemented by 26 one-of-a-kind banners, featuring runner-submitted photos.
As part of its #runbold social media campaign, Boston Marathon sponsor John Hancock Financial invited runners to submit their own photos during the first three weeks of March to be considered for inclusion on one of the 26 street banners.
Yesterday, the company announced the 26 winners, selected from more than 700 submissions. Beginning on Thursday, the crowdsourced banners will hang near the race’s finish line, on Boylston Street, between Massachusetts Avenue and Arlington Street.
In addition to appearing on the banners, the featured runners will have the option of keeping their banners after the race.
