Marathon Monday

It's "Marathon Monday" here in Boston, the colloquial name for what is formally known as Patriots' Day. This observance recognizes the start of the American Revolutionary War, when muskets blazed in 1775 on the grassy fields of Lexington and Concord.

The day's activities traditionally include battlefield reenactments, a home game at Fenway Park, and the signature event - the running of the Boston Marathon. Only COVID-19 has managed to sideline this event since its initial inception in 1897, putting the kibosh on the 2020 race. For those of us raised in the shadow of Heartbreak Hill, the Boston Marathon runs in our blood.

I have shed countless tears on this race course. Borne not of my own exertion but by simply watching ordinary runners grind their way to the finish line. 

"If you are losing faith in human nature, go out and watch a marathon." – Kathrine Switzer*

*The first woman to run the Boston Marathon (1967), having registered for the race using only her first initial to avoid detection as a female entrant.