Powered by Cheers, Students Run the 120th Boston Marathon

Surrounded by cheering supporters, handmade signs, and countless bottles of Gatorade, Harvard students—and at least one dean—took to the streets for the 120th annual Boston Marathon on Monday.

The Boston Marathon, the oldest annual marathon in the world, was first held in 1897. Since a pair of bombs exploded near the finish line in 2013, the marathon has served as a symbol of Boston’s resilience, and this year more than 30,000 people registered to run.

“I feel like I can’t walk right now, but other than that spirits are high,” Carolyn Z. Bruckmann ’16 said of the race, which was her first marathon. “I’ll nap for a while.”

Many other Harvard marathon runners were similarly sore like Bruckmann, but said they were pleased with the race and glad they had the chance to compete.

“It was such an incredible experience,” Jenny Li ’19 said of her race on Monday. “The runners that were there were from all over. I saw people from Tufts, someone from Mexico and Chad.”

Many runners who competed said they were struck in particular by the support they received from spectators along the course.

“It was incredible to have all the cheering crowds pushing you forward,” Jennifer F.N. Kizza ’16 said. “The spirit of it is incredible.”

Students from Wellesley College made up one particularly spirited group of spectators, according to Charles A. Scherr ’17, who also ran in the marathon. Those students lined the course section near Wellesley’s campus to participate in the annual “scream tunnel,” a tradition that caught on in the 1970s, according to Wellesley’s website.

“From both sides of the course they push in and make the road really narrow,” Scherr said of the Wellesley students. “You hear their screams from, no joke, a mile away. When you get there it’s deafening.”

Kevin Zhu ’18 said the cheering from supporters and from friends in particular made running the race more enjoyable.

“You see your friends out there, and every time I did I rushed the stands,” Zhu said. “You feel a lot more motivated and I’m not sure if it’s less pain, but you’re less aware of it.”

In addition to the pleasure of seeing friends cheering her on, Kizza said she enjoyed the effect that running has had on her state of mind.

“I think running helps me clear my mind; it’s great for mental health, and it’s nice to leave the Harvard bubble,” Kizza said. “I like that whenever I'm running, I’m not worried about emails or homework or meetings. It’s just time for me to enjoy running.”

Many runners from Harvard qualify to run in the marathon by raising money for charities. Kizza, who raised funds for the American Medical Athletic Association, said she was proud to run for a good cause.

“You fundraise for these organizations, and through fundraising you get to run the Boston Marathon,” Kizza said. “You know that your running is going to contribute to helping others.”

–Staff writer Jonathan G. Adler can be reached at jonathan.adler@thecrimson.com. Follow him on Twitter @JonathanGAdler.