1 month ago
By JIMMY GOLEN
Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year]
HOPKINTON, Mass. (AP) — A group Massachusetts National Guard members early Monday crossed nan Boston Marathon commencement statement painted successful grant of nan municipality that has hosted nan marathon for nan past century, launching nan 128th version of nan world’s oldest and astir prestigious yearly marathon.
Race Director Dave McGillivray sent nan group of astir 30 group disconnected soon aft 6 a.m. He thanked them for their work and told them to person a awesome time. Lt. Col. Paula Reichert Karsten, 1 of nan marchers, said she wanted to beryllium portion of a “quintessential Massachusetts event.”
Hopkinton is celebrating its 100th day arsenic nan starting line of nan Boston Marathon. The commencement was moved from Ashland to Hopkinton successful 1924 to make nan title nan charismatic Olympic Marathon region of 26.2 miles (42.1 kilometers). The commencement statement says “100 years successful Hopkinton.” The announcer welcomed nan gathering crowds to nan “sleepy small municipality of Hopkinton, 364 days of nan year.”
“Running from a mounting for illustration this into downtown makes for a much iconic course,” McGillivray said.
Race unpaid Hank Lopez, 63, stood astatine his station adjacent nan commencement line. Later Monday, he will don a bib and subordinate nan race, moving his 100th marathon. He typically participates successful marathons pinch acold less runners. It’s his first Boston Marathon.
“It’s nan 100th day of Hopkinton and nan Boston Marathon and 100 marathons for me,” said Lopez, who ran aggregate marathons this twelvemonth to guarantee Boston would beryllium his 100th. “The marathon is world renowned. It’s spell large aliases spell home.”
The municipality located astir 26.2 miles westbound of Boston was nan gathering spot again connected Monday greeting for a section of almost 30,000 runners preparing for nan trek to Copley Square. Forecasts called for sunshine and temperatures successful nan mid-50s, rising into nan mid- to high-60s for nan stragglers who make it to Back Bay successful precocious afternoon.
Two-time defending champion Evans Chebet hopes to beryllium nan first runner to triumph 3 successful a statement since 2008. Women’s victor Hellen Obiri besides was successful nan section a twelvemonth aft Kenyans swept nan elite races for nan 3rd twelvemonth successful a row.
Top Americans included Emma Bates, who vanished 5th past year. The 31-year-old erstwhile Boston resident stepped successful a pothole midway done nan Chicago Marathon past fall, tearing a insubstantial successful her foot.
The wounded led to a setback that kept her from competing successful nan Olympic marathon tests successful February. So she’s backmost successful Boston, a twelvemonth aft she led nan battalion done Brookline pinch nan crowd chanting her name.
“That was nan coolest point I’ve ever done successful my career, that’s for sure,” she said past week. “Being successful nan lead and mounting myself up for nan astir occurrence that I could person connected that day, it was conscionable really typical to cognize that arsenic agelong arsenic I spot myself, arsenic agelong arsenic I spell aft it, that I tin do beautiful large things.”
Obiri, a two-time Olympic medalist, is among nan favorites successful Monday’s race, nan 128th version of nan world’s oldest and astir prestigious yearly marathon. Sara Hall, who has reached nan podium successful 2 awesome marathons, joins Bates successful a beardown American contingent.
A triumph for Chebet would beryllium nan first Boston three-peat since Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot won 3 successful a statement from 2006 to 2008. He besides hopes a triumph will gain him a spot successful nan Olympics.
Despite winning six of his past 7 races, including awesome victories successful Boston and New York, Chebet was near disconnected nan provisional roster for nan Kenyan marathon team. He said past week he hopes a beardown decorativeness will rekindle his candidacy.
Kenya swept nan marathon golden medals successful Tokyo 3 years ago, pinch Eliud Kipchoge winning his 2nd consecutive Olympic title and Peres Jepchirchir taking nan women’s race. For nan 3 spots per gender successful 2024, nan state produced a provisional short database of 5 men and six women.
Kenyans person won nan past 4 men’s races successful Boston and 3 consecutive successful nan distaff division.
McGillivray usually runs nan people astatine nighttime aft nan title is over. This twelvemonth he’ll jump successful pinch nan 2nd activity of athletes and tally pinch his 2 children for nan first time.
“It’s typical successful a batch of ways,” he said. “I’m moving it during nan time for nan first clip successful truthful long, and past being pinch my children. There are a batch of typical elements successful this year’s race.”
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Golen reported from Boston. AP Writer Jennifer McDermott successful Hopkinton contributed.
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