04/20/26 06:11:00
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04/20 06:10 CDT Military marchers set out from Hopkinton to start the 130th
Boston Marathon
Military marchers set out from Hopkinton to start the 130th Boston Marathon
HOPKINTON, Mass. (AP) --- A group of Massachusetts National Guard members early
Monday crossed the Boston Marathon start line, launching the 130th edition of
the world's oldest and most prestigious annual marathon.
Race Director Dave McGillivray sent the group of about 50 people in uniform off
at 6 a.m. The temperature was slightly above freezing and frost was on the
grass near the start line in Hopkinton. McGillivray said it's the coldest start
he could remember in his nearly four decades working at the race.
Staff Sgt. Mackenzie Smith and Spec. Benjamin De Boer stepped back and forth to
try to stay warm before they set off on the course, but the cold didn't dampen
their enthusiasm for participating in the Boston Marathon for the first time.
"It's an honor and a blessing to be standing at the Boston Marathon start,"
Smith said. "The history that goes with the marathon resonates with me, growing
up in Massachusetts."
"I've seen this on TV all my life. I'm like, you know what, I am going to do
it. It's a challenge," added De Boer.
McGillivray said the cold added another layer of complexity because runners
were arriving in Hopkinton with many layers of extra clothing that would be
discarded at the start line and need to be collected. But as the sun comes out,
he said it will be ideal for running. McGillivray planned to join the second
wave to run with his children.
His advice to the field of more than 30,000 on the 26.2-mile (42.195-kilometer)
race to Boston's Copley Square: "Just run within yourself, be safe, and have
fun."
A year after shattering the women's mark by more than 2 1/2 minutes, defending
champion Sharon Lokedi is headed to the starting line. Reigning men's champion
and fellow Kenyan John Korir also is back.
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AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports
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