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One picture: The people's marathon

Posted at 11:25 AM on April 18, 2011 by Bob Collins (3 Comments)
Filed under: Sports

marathon_dress.jpg

As a son of the Bay State, Patriots Day -- that's today -- is always a bit wistful. The Boston Marathon is running today. It long ago gave in to the commercial aspect of the sport, paying runners, selling sponsorships etc.

It wasn't always that way. The oldest marathon in the country once was merely a celebration of running. Nobody got paid, everyone started at the same time, and along the way, people celebrated a long walk (run) wasted.

This picture from today's race proves that all is not lost, however. Once the "elite" runners get their head start, the "little people" take over, with their gym shorts, beat-up T-shirts, ugly Massachusetts-winter-white legs, and -- like Keith Straw, from Malvern, Pa -- the occasional tutu.

You can follow the race here.

Comments (3)

My parents were married, in the Bay State, on Patriots Day back in 1952. Despite decades of lobbying I have not been able to persuade them that their wedding anniversary should always be celebrated on the third Monday in April.

They have have this crazy idea that Patriots Day is always supposed to be celebrated on April 19th.

Posted by Jim | April 18, 2011 12:10 PM

I'm with them. It should always be the 19th.

Posted by Bob Collins | April 18, 2011 12:17 PM

With qualifying times the way they are, most of those "little people" are elite runners in my book.

Posted by Josh | April 18, 2011 12:31 PM

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