Thousands of running enthusiasts from near and far are getting amped up to hit their stride on Marathon Monday, and many say they are carrying full hearts looking back on the 2013 bombings.
Amy Koepp, a resident of Cumming, Ga., will be running in her thirteenth consecutive Boston Marathon, while her husband, Bryan Koepp, competes in his seventh. The married couple was on Boylston Street when the bombs went off, with Bryan in the bleachers and Amy in a tent past the finish line.
Bryan lost some hearing and received care at Tufts Medical Center in the days following the tragedy, but it hasn’t prevented the couple from coming back to the city year after year.
“You can’t keep us down,” Amy said.
Amy and Bryan stopped by the Marathon Fan Fest Friday afternoon at Copley Square, where runners and others can enjoy live music, entertainment, photo-ops, meet-and-greets with professional runners and more.
Nathan Doig, a resident of Perth, Australia, flew 24 hours across the world with his son Reggie and wife Ash, who will be cheering from the sidelines Monday, when he fulfills his lifelong dream of running Boston.
Doig qualified for the marathon in 2020, which the pandemic canceled. With that in mind, he knew he still had to make his way to Boston, the one major marathon he wanted to compete in.
The marathon starts at midnight in Australia, and Doig said when he woke up to find out what happened in 2013, the news “shattered” the running community worldwide.
“You look at it now – Boston Strong, One Boston – it’s all over the place,” Doig said. “People are out here and they’re going to support each other not only during the race but in the lead up, as well.”
One Boston Day of Remembrance will be held Saturday at 2:30 p.m. in the area of the finish line. The public is invited to join city and state officials, leaders from the Boston Athletic Association, and first responders in remembering the marathon bombings, with the dedication of a new finish line, the ringing of bells and the unveiling of a One Boston Day marker.
“It will feel different, particularly running down Boylston,” said James Moore, a Virginia Beach resident participating in his fourth Boston Marathon. “It was something I hadn’t been thinking much about until today when I realized it was the tenth anniversary. It will be on my mind.”