Boston Marathon Bombing - Journey of the marathon from a tragic incident to world record glory

The Boston Marathon 2024 will be the 128th edition of the event, and in its century-long history, the race has seen a lot of ups and downs. One of the most devastating moments of the marathon's past editions came in 2013 when two individuals bombed the finish line.

The attack, widely known as the ‘Boston Marathon Bombing’, took place on April 15th, 2013. The bombing saw siblings Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev place two homemade pressure cooker bombs at the finish line of the race. The bombs were situated nearly two hundred meters apart and detonated within 14 seconds of each other.

The bombing killed three individuals, and injured several hundreds, with 17 people losing limbs. The aftermath of the Boston Marathon Bombing saw Tamerlan Tsarnaev die in a shootout with the police after his brother ran him over with a car. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev himself was taken into custody on April 19 and was subsequently sentenced to death.

The aftermath of the bombing saw people across the globe lend a hand to help the victims, including the establishment of the One Boston Fund and the organization of the Boston Strong concert.

Since the devastating attack, the marathon has gone on to reclaim its former glory, with thousands of runners participating in the event each year. While the course of the Boston Marathon isn't eligible to set a world record due to its 459-foot drop from start to finish as well as its westward direction, many athletes have clocked impressive times in the competition.

In 2011, Geoffrey Mutai clocked a 2:03.02 while running the race, which would have been a new world record if the course was eligible for that. Mutai still holds the men's course record. The women's course record was set in 2014 when Buzunesh Deba ran a 2:19:59.

The men's and women's wheelchair records were both set in 2023, with Marcel Hug clocking a 1:17.06, while Manuela Schär ran a 1:28.17.

Boston Marathon: Safety protocols for the 2024 race

With just a day to go for the Boston Marathon, law enforcement has released the safety protocols for the 2024 race to ensure participants and spectators have a safe race.

Speaking to the media, federal officials have stated that there is no current or credible threat to the race, but the conflict in the Middle East is a matter of concern, encouraging people to stay vigilant.

The safety measures for tomorrow’s race include the dispersal of over 150 federal officials throughout the race route. MEMA will also have two mobile command centers for the race.