April 16, 2018, is the 122nd annual Boston Marathon. University of Massachusetts Boston alumna, Krystle Campbell, lost her life in 2013 due to the marathon bombing. In honor of Krystle, 11 people supporting UMass Boston will run in the marathon and will donate any money they raise to the Krystle Campbell Scholarship Fund. The scholarship gives out $5,000 each year to two undergraduate business students at UMass Boston. On April 7, these two selected students will be announced at the Krystle Campbell Scholarship presentation.
The Boston Marathon has been around since 1897, making it the oldest annual marathon in the world. The Boston Athletic Association organizes the marathon. It starts in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, and ends around Copley Square in Boston. Many people come out to support the runners because of the distance of the marathon—26.2 miles—and it takes place on a Massachusetts holiday called Patriot’s Day, which is always the third Monday of April. It is one of New England’s most highly viewed sporting events.
Anyone over the age of 18 from anywhere in the world has the opportunity to run in the marathon, however it is not something one can just sign up for, as they have to qualify. Depending on their age, runners need to have a certain qualifying running time. Runners who are running for a charity or who have sponsors are also eligible.
There are nine different waves of start times for the different groups in the marathon this year:
The Mobility Impaired participants will kick things off at 8:50 a.m.
The Men’s Push-Rim Wheelchair participants are next at 9:17 a.m.
The Women’s Push-Rim Wheelchair participants come shortly after the men at 9:19 a.m.
The Handcycle participants get under way at 9:22 a.m.
The Elite Women get started at 9:32 a.m.
Both the Elite Men and wave one will simultaneously start at 10:00 a.m.

Every 25 minutes after wave one, each of the next waves will go. Wave two will go at 10:25 a.m., wave three will go at 10:50 a.m., and then finally wave four will go at 11:15 a.m.