Yesterday's Boston Marathon was an incredible display of speed, strength, and endurance. It was also a remarkable show of compassion and peace. Congratulations to all who participated in the event, from the runners to the organizers to the spectators. It's tough to pick out the most moving aspects of the day, but we did our best:
An American Man Won the Boston Marathon for the First Time Since 1983
Rita Jeptoo of Kenya defended her title and took home the women's win. The major talker, though, was Meb Keflezighi: Yesterday, Meb (who won the New York City Marathon title in 2009 and got a silver medal in the 2004 Olympics) became the first American man to nab the Boston title in 31 years—and the first American overall to get it since Lisa Larsen-Weidenbach won the women's portion in 1985. Meb wore the four names of last year's victims on his bib. "I wanted to run…for Boston and for the United States and for the world," he told the Universal Sports Network after crossing the finish line.
And an American Woman Won the Women's Wheelchair Division
Tatyana McFadden, who also won this race last year (She swept the Boston, Chicago, New York City, and London Marathons in 2013, and she won the London Marathon again last week—no biggie.), took home this year’s title in a time of one hour, 35 minutes, and six seconds. Oh, and yesterday was her 25th birthday.
People Showed Up
A whopping 35,755 people registered for this year's Boston Marathon. And according to the New York Times, a crowd of one million people cheered them on. Why that's especially amazing: That's double the usual turnout, per the Times.
…And So Did the 'Boston Strong' Spirit
It was alive and well yesterday when, as The Washington Post pointed out, runners stopped to help another finish the race:
Runner falls just short of the finish. Four others pick him up and carry him. I'm literally in tears pic.twitter.com/vb9cjxG6pQ
— Wesley Lowery (@WesleyLowery) April 21, 2014
And Patrick Downes and Jessica Kensky, who had only been married a few months when they each lost a leg in last year's bombings, crossed the finish line this year holding hands:
PHOTO: Marathon bombing survivors Patrick Downes and Jessica Kensky cross the finish line. http://t.co/1S6eAUNh5h pic.twitter.com/WZm9zV54rB
— The Boston Globe (@BostonGlobe) April 21, 2014
More from Women's Health:
Heather Abbot Lost Part of Her Leg in the Boston Marathon Bombings. This Year, She'll be Back—And Running the Last Half Mile of the Race
There's No Place Like Boston on Marathon Monday
Two Boston Marathon Survivors Tied the Knot—See the Photos!
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