From the initial greeting waves to being crowned with a laurel wreath, to brief porta-potty breaks, to needing a boost of morale to scale Heartbreak Hill, everyone embraced the city of Boston at this moment. Yesterday was Marathon Monday, for the 122nd Boston Marathon with 25,746 runners in 49-degree weather, on top of rain and slick roads. Spectators lined the streets of Boston, in addition to extra security personnel due to the rough weather. Approximately 40 organizations pooled their efforts to plan out security measures that were taken at the marathon.

The city was not risking a repeat of the events from April 15th, 2013 when two brothers believed that they could tear apart Boston.

Security measures

Instead of helicopters hovering over the city, security officers used drones to monitor the runners and other people due to the rainy weather. Approximately ten command posts were stationed throughout the communities in and around the marathon route.

Over 100 video feeds were being channeled, in addition to the cameras on officers on duty at the event.

Since the bombing, the Boston Police Department has undergone a lengthy series of training exercises and learned how to better protect the city during the marathon. These training sessions were conducted through Urban Shield and they taught officers how to react in certain scenarios, further preparing them to handle situations like the Boston Bombing.

Metal detectors have also since been implemented to reduce the chances of spectators and runners alike bringing unauthorized items and products into the marathon.

The people

Desiree Linden of Michigan was the winner of this year’s Boston Marathon, she was the first woman to win the marathon in 33 years.

She completed the marathon in 2 hours, 39 minutes, and 53 seconds. Sarah Sellers was the runner-up of the marathon. Runners came from all around the world to participate in the marathon, and so did spectators. Many spectators waited at Heartbreak Hill to cheer on runners as they reached the concluding legs of the marathon.

The transformation

It was amazing to see how Boston has bounced back from the disaster that happened five years ago. This tragedy transformed Boston, and with the strength shown by its heroes, Beantown was able to fully recover from its lowest point.

Runners and spectators alike showed their resilience, and the crowds have grown in support of the marathon tradition in the heart of Boston. The starting line at 8:40 am was the lowest in marathon history, creeping around 37 degrees. This cold weather did keep some participants from running the marathon, however, it didn’t cap the spirit and morale reverberating from the spectators bordering the streets, along with non-weathered runners.

Some runners even ran in support of the charity group, MR8, to commemorate the loss of Martin Richard, an eight-year-old boy that was killed in the bombings five years ago. This just goes to show the amount of spirit and motivation Bostonians have in regard to the Boston Marathon.

Nothing can take the spirit out of Boston, and this is where it belongs -- in the hearts of those that participated in and spectated the annual marathon.
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