On Monday in Boston, Massachusetts, tens of thousands of runners braved cold and slick conditions to participate in the 119th Boston Marathon.
Just two years after the infamous attack on the annual race, this year's festivities appeared to mark a return to normalcy—30,000 marathoners participated, up from last year's 27,000. Another 2,000 were turned away due to space limitations.
"Runners and spectators are expected to pump $182 million into the local economy," noted G. Jeffrey MacDonald. "That represents a 33% increase since before the bombings."
As for the race itself, Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia won the men's marathon for the second time, running the 26.2-mile course in just two hours and nine minutes. Desisa notably donated his first medal to the victims of the 2013 bombing, which took place only hours after he crossed the finish line. Caroline Rotich of Kenya beat out Ethiopian sprinter Mare Dibaba by just four seconds to score the women's title.
Survivors Join the Race
A majority of those injured in the 2013 attack were bystanders on the sidelines of the event rather than marathon participants themselves. This year, 25 of those survivors (many of whom are novices) are running the marathon after training with a group called 415 Strong.