BOSTON, MA - APRIL 16: Runners in the men's professional race run shortly after crossing the starting line of the BAA Invitational Mile on April 16, 2022, on Boylston Street in Boston, MA. (Photo by Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) HOPKINTON, Mass. - Runners were gearing up for the Boston Marathon on Monday, marking the return of the prestigious race to its springtime spot for the first time since the pandemic began.Race Director Dave McGillivray sent a group of about 20 from the Massachusetts National Guard that walks the course annually out at 6 a.m., announcing the start in Hopkinton of the 126th Boston Marathon.
He told them that the "comeback is greater than the setback."McGillivray said in an interview that "it’s a new normal," with some pandemic protocols still in place, such as requiring participants to be vaccinated or show an exemption, "but it’s a normal." He said he’s using the catchphrase because "we’re about to see that come to life.""We recognize that we’re not totally out of the woods.
We’re still sensitive to the virus and requiring vaccinations," he said. "We’re really not back to normal for the time being, but this is what the new normal is.
The key is keeping everyone safe."The wheelchair divisions start shortly after 9 a.m., followed by the elite fields. Eleven former champions are competing.