Runners stride to get to the finish line of the Boston Marathon. Photo by Colin Tsuboi (He/Him) / Mass Media Staff.

Light showers and foggy weather did not deter the excitement and rigor of the Boston Marathon runners on a Monday morning. Competitors and athletes from across the states and countries flew in for the marathon. Around 30,000 runners participated in the world’s oldest annual marathon and made their way through a 26.2-mile course from Hopkinton to Copley Square.

Kenyan Evans Chebet emerged victorious in men’s elite field, crossing the finish line with a time of 2:05:54 (1). Chebet defeated the world-record holder Eliud Kipchoge who came sixth in the marathon with a time of 2:09:23—his slowest career run. Chebet’s training partner Benson Kipruto finished third and said to the Boston Globe, “we help each other to fight until the end. We won as a team and we are happy for the results” (2). Hellen Obiri from Kenya took the trophy home in the women’s elite field with a record time of 2:21:38 (1).

Marcel Hug from Switzerland took his sixth consecutive win in the men’s wheelchair division by finishing the distance in a course record of 1:17:06 and Susannah Scaroni bagged the title for women’s wheelchair with a time of 1:41:45 (1). Hugs won $25,000 for the victory. For the first time, the marathon included a nonbinary division where 27 athletes registered and competed. Kae Ravichandran finished first in this category with a time of 2:38:57 (1).

This year’s marathon also marked the tenth anniversary of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing that killed three people and injured several hundred. Since then, the city has celebrated One Boston Day on April 15 each year as a day to commemorate the lost lives and the resilience of family members who lost a loved one.

For many survivors of the Boston Marathon bombing, running for the marathon has been a form of healing. For instance, Robert Wheeler, a 23-year-old who crossed the finish line in 2013 just when the bomb exploded, ran the marathon this year. Wheeler told GBH News, “And often enough, those with trauma have a little more [fire inside them]. Because unfortunately, trauma either tears you down, completely breaks you or it can be a tool; you can use that fire to burn down the house, or you can use that fire to feed your soul and build yourself up and build that house within” (3).

Following the 127th Boston Marathon, Vinny Castronuovo and Shannon Lamarre were named the first-ever recipients of the Fastest Bostonian Award, announced by the Boston Athletic Association and the office of Mayor Michelle Wu (4). Castronuovo is a mechanical engineering graduate student at Northeastern University and Lamarre is an environmental engineer and a Greater Boston Track Club member.

The UMass Boston Run for Krystle Marathon Team ran the marathon in honor of UMass Boston alumna Krystle Campbell, who was one of three people killed in the marathon bombing (5). UMass trustee Dick Campbell and his wife Barbara wanted to build something strong and worthwhile from the tragedy. So, with Krystle’s parents’ support, Dick and Barbara founded Krystle Campbell Scholarship Fund in 2013. The inaugural lineup for the Run for Krystle team consisted exclusively of family members in 2014, but since then, a growing number of UMass Boston alums, faculty and friends have gotten involved.

When the distance seems too long, runners always find a way to finish through a cause that inspires them. “You have to say to yourself, ‘I’m running because Krystle can’t.’ That’s enough to continue to take one more step,” said Rhonda Hodge, a nine-time Run for Krystle team member.

Sources:

1. https://www.wbur.org/news/2023/04/17/boston-marathon-winners-results

2. https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/04/17/sports/boston-marathon-2023-elite-mens-winner/

3. https://www.wgbh.org/news/local-news/2023/04/17/live-updates-the-2023-boston-marathon

4. https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/04/17/sports/grad-student-greater-boston-track-club-member-won-fastest-bostonian-awards-2023-boston-marathon/?utm_source=bside.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=your-marathon-monday-recap

5. https://www.umb.edu/news/detail/umass_boston_strong