People were pushed up against the metal fences on either side of the street holding up signs, ringing cowbells, and waving clappers in the air. Spirits were high, despite the overcast clouds and constant rain. Marathon runner, German Caraang, shares his experience of his first Boston marathon.
"It's the best and worst,” he said. “You know it's the best race out there but, the worst conditions today. It was cold, wet, windy you know. But I made it to the finish line."
"I'll definitely run this race again, but hopefully in the future it's better conditions."
Bill Kotaska finished his thirteenth Boston Marathon at three hours and thirteen minutes.
"It always [feels good to cross the finish line], it's the most awesome feeling in the world,” he said. “That's why I keep coming back. There's nothing else like it really."
Kotaska was one of the runners who ran during the 2013 Boston marathon.
"I was in 2013, yeah. And I saw all the commotion and all that,” he said. "No, I had no doubt that I'd come back. And it really it was like, it was Boston but it was a whole other level of Boston. As far as just the energy and really the positive energy that was in place last year. It was incredible."
Displaying some of this energy, Mike Delaus and Marcus Urann, were among the crowd at the finish line.
"I mean security is ramped up, but not as much as last year and I think it's a lot more relaxed this year and they're a lot more celebratory this year versus being worried last year."
"I think a lot more people were out here and a lot more people were having fun, kind of celebrating coming back out for the marathon."
After talking with the MIT students, I ran into Una Corrigan who finished her seventh marathon, and third Boston marathon.
"That was my first Boston, 2013,” she said. "[It was] a lot different than today. It was warm and obviously less security, but I'm very fortunate to be able to come back and run it again, under different circumstances."
"I try to not cry because when I cry I hyperventilate and I can't breathe,” she said. “So it's like, I wait till after I've crossed the finish line to cry and it's just an accomplishment. Just glad it's done."
Tom Corwin has joined the marathon crowd for ten years. And the only one he missed was the 2013 marathon.
"That was one of the very few years I didn't go,” he said. “I was one of those people that was supposed to be here."
Reporting at the finish line from Boston, Massachusetts for WAMC News, I'm AubriePrzybysz.
Aubrie Przybysz is a student at Western New England University.
