The Boston Marathon has been run on the third Monday of April every year since 1897, even through two World Wars. While weather and labor disputes have affected the city’s other Patriots’ Day tradition, a mid-morning Red Sox game at Fenway, thousands of runners have always crossed the finish line on Boylston Street.
But this year, there was just one unnamed finisher, with one unofficial time. The Boston Athletic Association announced earlier in the month that the marathon had been moved to September 14, and government officials including Gov. Charlie Baker and Mayor Marty Walsh pleaded local runners in the days leading up to Monday to respect the mandate and stay home.
Astonishingly, for a city with a population of 700,000 (notably obstinate) people, nearly everyone listened. Only one anonymous racer showed up to the starting line in the colonial town of Hopkinton, around 5:00 in the morning. A local news station caught up with him after he finished a few hours later — it was pretty obvious; he ran down the middle of the mostly-empty street, with family members cheering behind him — and he didn’t seem too concerned.
“There was no one in the race at all,” he said. “It was a beautiful day for it. I still wanted to run it, and I was prepared to stop if I ran into any crowds or people.”
Not the best look, but it’s definitely better than a full running club taking to the streets in defiance. For those honoring the new date, meanwhile, here’s all the information you need to know for running in September. If you can’t make it, the BAA will issue a full refund.
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