Today was a beautiful day for the Boston Marathon so we thought we would get out and cover the event. We decided to walk the last part (Comm Ave, Kenmore Square, Finish Line) of the marathon route to give you a glimpse of how things look before the runners get into town.
The City has to do a lot of preparations to get ready to host an event of this size. Blocking off a 26 mile route is no small feat. The most difficult part was probably the last few miles going into the city. We started our walk in Brookline. By 11AM, the length of Comm Ave heading into Boston had already been cordoned off and were completely car-free all the way into Bolyston Street.
Folks were out early getting the route prepped, cups of liquids filled, and everything in place to support the tens of thousands of runners who will be coming soon. To keep things orderly, the Boston Police was out in strength and highly visible.
With all of its prestige and world-renowned status, it still comes down to the thousands of volunteers to make this event work.
We got downtown around 11:30AM. The crowd was already four rows thick on Boylston Street. Some must have been here since the crack of dawn :-)
In our walk, we found lots of great spots to watch the race beside the finish line. There is a good location right after the last overpass a few blocks before the Exeter Street turn on to Bolyston.
The turn at Exeter Street is a popular spot. It is a good watching spot especially if you need to leave quickly. The reason is the street on the other end of Exeter is usually free of crowds.
If you REALLY want to be at the finish line, either get there EARLY or be VERY TALL. Of course, if you are well connected, you get to be on the grandstand.
Today's men's race was won by the Kenyan Cheruiyot. It was his fourth Boston victory. The win was that much more inspiring given the recent troubles in Kenya.
While the crowd was excited by the Kenyan's win, it was Ethiopia's Dire Kune and Russia's Alevtina Biktimirova with their sprint down Boylston Street which really whipped things up. The winning times differed by only two seconds...the closest finish in Boston Marathon history! To be down at the finish line and being able to physically feel the roar of the crowd was amazing. Definitely better than watching it on TV back in the office :-) [Permalink] - Wan Chi Lau
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