The 125th running of the Boston Marathon was unique. The Boston Marathon in October on Indigenous Peoples’ Day, instead of in April on Patriots’ Day.
Of course, the running of the 124th Boston Marathon was supposed to take place on Patriots Day 2020. Then the Coronavirus pandemic hit, and the 124th was postponed to the fall of that year. But even before the fall came around, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh nixed the event and instead announced a virtual running. That, of course, came on the heels of the news that the 124th running of the Boston Marathon would be cancelled. It was the first time in the history of the race that it had ever been cancelled.
2021 would be a year of firsts for the Boston Athletic Association as well. Once again, they slated the race for a Patriots’ Day running. Once again, COVID-19 forced them to reschedule. So instead of Marathon Monday being a celebration of spring, complete with an early-scheduled Red Sox home game at Fenway Park, we got a completely different Marathon Monday experience. Marathon Monday on Indigenous Peoples Day. Marathon Monday on a crisp, fall day instead of a crisp, spring day. Marathon Monday with colorful, turning leaves instead of green buds.
The Weird, Wild Time They Ran the Boston Marathon in October
It’s likely to never happen again. Hell, let’s hope it never happens again. Because if it does, that will probably mean we have another pandemic upon us. And I don’t know about you, but I’m all set with that. I mean, technically, I don’t think we’re actually done with the current pandemic. But I digress. Let’s go back in time to when they ran the Boston Marathon in October. It was a one-of-a-kind Boston moment. Kind of like how Dick Hoyt was one-of-a-kind. And Rick was, too.
