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Elite runners competed on Monday, a bright and sunny day, during the 118th Boston Marathon.

Big Crowd and Tight Security in Boston

By KATHARINE Q. SEELYE 

Under sunny skies and heavy security, the first of more than 30,000 racers started the Boston Marathon, a year after an attack shattered a joyous tradition more than a century old

COPY http://international.nytimes.com/ 

Northeast

Boston holds first marathon since bombing under heavy security

Published April 21, 2014

A moment of silence preceded the start of Monday's 118th Boston Marathon in memory of the victims whose lives were forever changed one year ago when two bombs exploded near the finish line, killing three people and injuring 264.
Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick set off the first entrants in the mobility impaired division, who crossed the starting line at 8:50 a.m.

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Security was noticeably heightened as runners kicked off the annual race for the first time since the bombings. Helicopters could be seen circling overhead as well as bomb-sniffing dogs checking through trash cans. State and local police were also spotted on the rooftops of some buildings.
Despite the increased security, the mood is festive at the finish line. Spontaneous applause broke out as a group of Boston police officers walked near the site of last year's twin bombing. Children danced as the Rolling Stones' song "Start Me Up" blared over the loudspeakers. Runners were dropped off by buses bearing the message, "Boston Strong."
Patrick said Sunday that Boston may be the safest place in America Monday as the city holds its annual marathon for the first time since the bombings.
"There'll be considerably more police presence," Patrick said on CBS' "Face the Nation". "But we also don't want to have it, you know, kind of a race through a militarized zone. So it's about striking a balance, and I think we have struck that balance."
On Monday, spectators were forced to go through tight security checkpoints before being allowed near Hopkinton Common for the start of the race. A moment of silence was observed before the marathon got under way.
A woman in Hopkinton who watches the start of the marathon in most years says she's never seen anything close to this level of security. But Jean Bertschman says everyone has been "very pleasant."
The wheelchair division began at 9:17, followed by the handcycles at 9:22 and the elite women at 9:32. The elite men and the first wave of amateur runners kicked off at 10. There are four waves in total, the last starting at 11:25.
Approximately 36,000 runners have registered for the 118th running of the race, the oldest annual marathon in the world. That's approximately 9,000 more than last year's field, with many of them coming to show support for the event and the city that was shocked by the attack on its signature sporting event. Race organizers expanded the field to make room for approximately 5,000 runners who were on the course when the explosions shook Boylston Street in the heart of Boston's Back Bay on the afternoon of last April 15.
More than 3,500 police officers -- double the usual number -- were out along the 26.2-mile course, including undercover officers with special training. At least 100 strategically positioned video cameras will monitor the crowds.
The expanded security effort required state and local officials to move their regular "tabletop exercise" to study the course and plan for possible emergencies from the state's emergency bunker in Framingham to the a convention center in the city. The crowd grew from what usually is about 100 to more than 450, according to Boston Athletic Association executive director Tom Grilk, who is in charge of organizing the race.
"Whether you have a small group or a big group, the spirit is the same," he said this month in an interview at the athletic association's office, about two blocks from the finish line. "And that is: How do we get our event done well?"
Patrick said there have been no specific threats against the race, which is held on Patriots' Day, a state holiday in Massachusetts and Maine that commemorates the Revolutionary War battles of Lexington and Concord. In addition to the marathon, the day also features the Boston Red Sox hosting the only scheduled morning Major League Baseball game.
"We're not taking that as a sign to sort of stand down," he said. "We're very prepared, and we're assuring people as much as we can that it'll be a fun day and a safe one."
The race will begin in the suburb of Hopkinton, with eight divisions of runners being released from the starting line between 8:50 a.m. and 11:25 a.m. local time.
Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia and Kenya's Rita Jeptoo, who crossed the finish line on Boylston Street about three hours before the explosions, will return to defend their championships. Desisa returned to Boston last fall to donate his first-place medal to the city as a gesture of support.
Jeptoo, who also won the race in 2006, said she is hoping for a third victory — and one she can enjoy.
"It was very difficult to be happy. People were injured and children died," she said of last year's marathon. "If I'm going to win again, I hope I can be happier and to show people, like I was supposed to last year."
COPY  http://www.foxnews.com/us