Thousands of people flocked to the Greater Boston area April 15 for the 128th running of the Boston Marathon. This year, Sisay Lemma of Ethiopia won his first Boston title, Hellen Obiri of Kenya defended her 2023 title and one Suffolk student raised over $10,000 for a New England charity.
Lemma won the men’s race in two hours, six minutes and 17 seconds while Obiri won the women’s race in two hours, 22 minutes and 37 seconds. Marcel Hug won the men’s wheelchair division in one hour, 15 minutes and 33 seconds, breaking his own course record. Eden Rainbow Cooper won the women’s wheelchair division in one hour, 35 minutes and 11 seconds, her first major marathon win.
The day didn’t stop there. Following the elite fields were nearly 30,000 athletes running for thousands of different reasons, one of those runners being Suffolk senior Oliver Ferrari.
Ferrari ran the marathon for the New England Center for Children and raised over $10,000 for autism awareness. He finished the marathon in four hours, 36 minutes and 38 seconds.
Located in Southborough, Massachusetts, the NECC provides both day and residential programs. According to its website, it provides its staff with entry level training, helping with their professional careers and providing graduate program opportunities.
“It’s amazing how successful students can become when they are believed in. Regardless of learning disability, all people deserve to reach what success means to them,” said Ferrari, who is an entrepreneurship major at Suffolk.
Ferrari said Boston is his favorite race he has ever done, and the hardest part for him was not Newton’s hills or the summer-like temperatures.
“The hardest part is the months of rigorous training. There is no crowd cheering or volunteers handing out water throughout the process. It’s up to you to run, stretch and eat well,” said Ferrari. “Many long runs, nights and soreness were spent to make this marathon a reality.”
Ferrari will graduate in May and return to Suffolk in the fall for his master’s of business administration.
In August 2023, Ferrari raised over $1,700 for the NECC by running the Falmouth Road Race.
Ferrari was not the only person running for this cause. The NECC had a team of 10 runners running from Hopkinton to Boston, according to its website.
With the marathon’s finish line being in Suffolk’s backyard, students enjoyed spending their Patriot’s Day watching runners complete the race and seeing the community come together.
“It was almost emotional to witness the support for all the runners taking on such a physically and mentally demanding challenge,” said freshman Jaenelle Bryant.
In the days leading up to the race, Boston gets busy. Airport traffic backs up, Marathon Sports sells out of shoes, hotels are filled and the streets are decorated with Boston Marathon banners.
“Truly was an electric time to be in Boston, everyone was full of energy and love [for each other],” said sophomore Shannon Groom.
The top Americans in the elite men’s field were CJ Albertson, seventh place in two hours, nine minutes and 53 seconds, Elkanah Kibet, 14th place in two hours, 12 minutes and 32 seconds and Ryan Eiley in 15th place in two hours, 14 minutes and 22 seconds.
For the women’s elite race it was Emma Bates, 12th place in two hours, 27 minutes and 14 seconds, Sara Hall in 15th place at two hours, 27 minutes and 58 seconds and Des Linden in 16th place in two hours, 28 minutes and 27 seconds.
