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The Boston Marathon: A symbol of inclusion
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The Boston bombing was an attack on the unifying values promoted by marathons, but the city’s illustrious race will continue to grow in strength.

An illustrious event

The Boston Marathon is iconic. First organised in 1897, the world’s oldest continuously held marathon is also one of the hardest to qualify for, with participants required to meet stringent timing criteria. Held on Patriots’ Day, a state holiday in Massachusetts and Maine, it draws huge numbers of spectators. It is so integral to celebrations that the day is often known as “Marathon Monday”.

Attacks of this nature are always shocking and when they affect sporting events, they really hurt. After all, sport is not only about winning; it can also be about sportsmanship, achievement, pushing limits and overcoming fears. Sport gathers people from around the world as spectators and participants. Even the largest events advocate these ideas, promoting concepts like “Olympic values” and “legacy”.

Promoting inclusion

Marathons, the core discipline of the ancient Olympics, exemplify these values. No other events attract as many amateur participants or the same diversity in abilities and ages. They are major cultural events that often symbolise the cities that host them, which may close down for several hours. Large crowds congregate in city centres to cheer on family, friends and anyone else willing to take part.

Around the world, such events are frequently held on public holidays – often to commemorate a moment in a country’s history – but they unify beyond that country’s borders in the deliberate way they attract international interest and participation. When something like the Boston bombing happens, the idea of large sporting events providing unity is questioned. What is the impact of an attack on an iconic marathon which attracts global participation?

Sport and violence

This isn’t the first time a large sporting event has been affected by violence. The 1972 Munich Olympics hostage crisis, the 1996 Atlanta Olympic park bombing and the 2010 African Cup of Nations attack on Togo’s football team are just a few well-known examples. Marathons have been targeted too - in 2008, 15 were killed and many others injured when a bomb detonated at the start line of a marathon in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The Boston Marathon may never be the same again. We can be sure the security and preparations for next year’s event will be on an entirely different scale. But the sentiments expressed around the world in the tragedy’s aftermath are, in a way, reflective of the reason marathons – and other major sporting events – exist. They promote solidarity, endurance and courage. The Olympic Games have gained in strength, despite their setbacks, and there’s no reason to think the Boston Marathon will be any different.


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