On the morning of #MarathonMonday, April 15, thousands of runners, hand cyclists, and push rim wheelchair racers took off on the oldest and most challenging 26.3 mile course in the world. The annual Boston Marathon takes place on Patriot’s Day, every third monday of April, in the greater Boston area in Massachusetts. The Boston Marathon dates back to 1897, it’s first showing inspired by the revival appearance of the marathon race the the Olympic Games. Over time, the race attracted more attention and favor as it became one of the most celebrated and well-known road races in the world.
This year, this enormous race lived up to the profound anticipation it experienced in the months leading up to it. Staggering athletic feats and inspiring stories of accomplishment showed what it means to be “Boston Strong”.
The champion of the 2019 Boston Marathon in the Men’s wheelchair race was Daniel Romanchuk, with a time of 1:21:36 who became the first American, as well as the youngest, to win in that category.
The winner of the Women’s wheelchair race, for her second time, was Manuela Schar. She completed the course in an impressive 1:34:19.
Crossing the finishing line in first place in the Women’s Elite category, in her first attempt in Boston, with a time of 2:23:31 was Ethiopian Worknesh Degafa.
The end of the Men’s Elite race was a thriller- a sprint finish, something that isn’t often seen in a marathon--where Kenyan Lawrence Cherono was crowned champion with a time of 2:07:57, only two seconds under second-place Lelisa Desisa Benti’s.
Other great stories from this year’s race included marine Micah Herndon, who ran in honor of three marines who didn’t survive an attack in Afghanistan in 2010. Herndon showed Boston Strength as he literally crawled across the finish line, paying tribute to his fallen comrades. Another inspiring woman, already a gold-medal winner at the 1984 Olympic, finished the course at the age of 61.
This year’s Boston Marathon served, again, as a focal point of celebration of strength and incredible ability for people around the world, both viewers and participants.. We can now enjoy the stories this year’s race has brought, as we count down the days until next year’s Boston Marathon.