It’s been a long three years staying inside due to the pandemic. But now, the Boston Marathon makes its opening spectacular as runners from all over the world return to its tracks for a gratifying and satisfying run. Since 1972, there have only been eight women who ran this marathon. Now, 12,100 are running. Talking about a stark difference from the past, the marathon shows there are no limitations on people’s backgrounds, as long as they are willing to run and have an awesome experience.
This year marks the 50th anniversary in honor of those eight women who participated in the Boston Marathon. Valerie Rogosheke was one of the runners who participated back in 1972 and placed top 10 in the Boston Marathon three times. Following Rogosheke’s legacy is Manuela Schär who became one of the world’s best wheelchair racers.
Nina Kuscsik from Huntington, New York, became the first woman to win the Boston Marathon with her running time of 3 hours, 10 minutes, and 26 seconds. In an interview with The New York Times, she said, “It’s a great honor. I hope that allowing women to compete officially will encourage others to take running more seriously.” This year included a total of 28,600 runners.
Cathy Huang is one of the runners attending the Boston Marathon. Being 32 weeks pregnant isn’t going to stop her from running. She exclaims, “I tell my husband all the time: This baby is going to be a runner!.”
Many people are wearing masks as a reminder to stay safe even when doing a good run. With clear skies and light air, the run moved to be a pleasant time and condition that any runner wants to go in.
Unfortunately, runners from Russia and Belarus are not allowed to participate in the Boston Marathon this year. Chief of Boston Athletic Association Tom Grilk said, “Like so many around the world, we are horrified and outraged by what we have seen and learned from the reporting in Ukraine. We believe that running is a global sport, and as such, we must do what we can to show our support to the people of Ukraine.”
The Boston Marathon will be streamed on the NBC Sports App at 8:30 A.M. EST on Monday. If you missed the coverage, the marathon will be broadcast on NBC’s Olympic Channel at 8:00 P.M. EST.
