The Boston Marathon and Mayor Michelle Wu insisted on Friday that international runners and other foreign visitors remain welcome in the city and said there is no evidence that travel for this year바카라s race has fallen off in the face of increased border scrutiny. (More Sports News)
바카라Regardless of what바카라s happening at other levels, and particularly now at the federal level, in Boston we welcome everyone,바카라 Wu said at a public safety media briefing not far from the finish line. 바카라We seek to be a home for everyone.바카라
A cherished event for runners and spectators alike, staged on the state holiday of Patriots바카라 Day, commemorating the battles of Lexington and Concord that sparked the American Revolution 250 years ago, the Boston Marathon is the world바카라s oldest and most prestigious annual 26.2-mile race.
It has taken on even greater significance 바카라 and popularity 바카라 since 2013, when two pressure-cooker bombs exploded near the finish line, killing three people and wounding hundreds more. (Allen Davis, the assistant special agent in charge of the FBI바카라s Boston office, said at the briefing that there were 바카라no credible or specific threats바카라 to Monday바카라s race).
This year바카라s marathon has more than 30,000 entrants from 128 countries. Boston Athletic Association President Jack Fleming said the 129th edition of the race was full 바카라 thousands more are turned away 바카라 and there바카라s been no indication that those registered are staying home.
바카라We have a lot of demand this year, as we do every year,바카라 he said.
But as U.S. officials track plummeting tourism numbers, with many would-be visitors angered by President Donald Trumps바카라 tariffs and rhetoric and alarmed by stories about tourists being arrested at the border, reports say at least some potential marathon attendees have decided to skip the race.
Canadians have been especially put off by Trump바카라s talk of making the country the 51st U.S. state. Paula Roberts-Banks, a writer and photographer from Rosseau, Ontario, who has run Boston 12 times, wrote in Canadian Running magazine that she earned a coveted bib for this year바카라s race but decided not to run because she has 바카라soured바카라 on the U.S.
바카라I simply don바카라t want to go there,바카라 she said. 바카라It feels like a breakup.바카라
British runner Calli Hauger-Thackery, a 2024 Olympian who is entered in the women바카라s professional field, said she has never experienced a problem coming to the U.S. but she worries now that that might change.
바카라It does scare me traveling a little bit, at the moment,바카라 she said, adding that she is married to an American and has a visa. 바카라I hope it바카라s enough for them to not flag me or anything coming in and out of the States.바카라
Most of the 31,941 entrants in Monday's race were required to qualify at another marathon, and many of them view running Boston as a lifelong athletic goal. Still, about 10% of the field typically does not toe the starting line in Hopkinton for reasons that range from injuries to weather to the 2010 eruption of a volcano in Iceland that halted flights and prevented hundreds of Europeans from traveling to Boston.
In last year바카라s field of 29,333 entrants, there were 2,838 who failed to start. Race officials say they will not know how many no-shows there are this year until Monday; even then, they won바카라t know why.
바카라We do not have data as to why people may or may not be coming to Boston," Fleming said. "At the BAA, our goal is to create a marathon experience that is very welcoming and joyous. Every year, we focus on that goal and we are confident that we have done everything in our power to achieve that this year.바카라
Wu said she hoped visitors would look past the geopolitical climate and 바카라participate in this very, very important global tradition that should transcend politics and should transcend the issues of the day.바카라
And that's just what Australian Patrick Tiernan plans to do.
바카라There are some unfortunate situations going on in the U.S. right now, but I don바카라t think that should have to taint what바카라s happening here, and the history of this race,바카라 said the two-time Olympian, who was an NCAA cross country champion at Villanova. 바카라I think everybody바카라s very excited to be here and excited to compete on Monday.바카라
