The course and sidelines of the 130th Boston Marathon were packed Monday with a passionate crowd, bringing different backgrounds, motivations and tales to the historic race.
Evelyn’s Entourage
Around the halfway point of Monday’s marathon, a crowd in pastel hoodies were out for their third year, continuing to honor two children who didn’t make it and celebrating Evelyn, the new baby who did.
Keri Fingerson said her husband Jacob’s marathon journey began after they lost their first child Cecilia, who was born 22 weeks premature and lived for 89 minutes before passing away in her father’s arms.
“She knew nothing but unconditional love for those 89 minutes that we had her,” said Fingerson. “We were pretty devastated, and my husband really found a lot of healing through running.”
The couple found out that Boston Children’s Hospital, where Cece was born, sponsored runners.
“He said, ‘We didn’t, Cecilia didn’t have a chance, but I want to run and raise money so that other families don’t have to go through the heartbreak that we did of losing a child,’” Fingerson said. “In 2024, it was run for Cece. And then while he was training for that run, we were pregnant again with our son, Landon.”
The couple lost Landon during the pregnancy, Fingerson said, and Jacob ran for him the next year.
But this year, the mom said, their newborn daughter Evelyn got to be at the race with them and they raised $55,000 for the hospital in her name.
Surrounded by family and friends in “Evelyn’s Entourage” hoodies, the baby spent her very first outing Sunday sleeping soundly in her stroller as she waited for her dad to run by in Wellesley.
“It’s been pretty overwhelming, but in the best way possible, to have so much love and support,” said Fingerson. “I feel like it’s really everyone has just really stepped up and shown up for us, and we couldn’t be more grateful.”
Who brought the dogs out?
“These are all runners’ dogs,” said Claire Sacco Mitchell, representing Wellness Pet Company with a group of over a dozen holding giant signs of dogs’ heads. “And we’re here to support them around mile 14, the halfway mark, to give them that extra boost to make it the second half of the way.”
The dogs — and some cats — came in all shapes and sizes, greeting pet owners with their cheery faces as they took on the Wellesley hills. A bunch of the runners, representing Dana Farber and several charities, came over the give a hug or a kiss, Mitchell said, laughing that it’s “a long way 26.2.”
One of the runners, Mitchell recalled, was a volunteer on the day of the marathon bombings in 2013. Afterwards, she got her dog and only later found out his birthday was the same day in 2013, she said, calling the pup “a special dog for her.”
Showing what immigrants can do
Guatemalan immigrant Mercy Lopez ran her first marathon Monday, passing her many excited family members in matching blue shirts emblazoned with her name and “Boston Strong.”
“She was inspired by her roots and everything,” said her brother David Lopez. “Like she wants to show what immigrant people can do it in the USA.”
A quiet zone
Just passed the Boston Marathon’s famous “Scream Tunnel” in Wellesley, spectators could walk along a stretch hearing just about only the sounds of runners pounding feet.
“It’s just to give primarily kids with autism and people who would kind of enjoy a lesser stimulating environment, a safe place to enjoy the Boston Marathon,” said volunteer Sydney Culver. “Because this should be a safe place to celebrate the people running for all the residents of Massachusetts.”
The “Sensory-Friendly Zone,” located around mile 13.5 was sponsored by the B.A.A. and the Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism for the second year in 2026, featuring an area without cowbells or noisemakers and features like comfy inflatable chairs for kids to enjoy.
The zone received a lot of curiosity Monday, Culver said, and “a lot of positive feedback” from the people using it to take in the event in a new way.
It’s hard to miss a pink dinosaur this tall
“We wanted to make sure she sees us,” said Doug Turnbull, standing amongst his children and nieces as they waited for his sister to run by. “We brought this silly thing to be visible to her. And friends too; we told them we’re in Wellesley on the right, with a dinosaur on a stick.”
The fuzzy stuffed pink dinosaur flew well over the family’s heads, taped to a tall stick passed between Turnbull and one of the kids, Charlie.
Asked why the pink dinosaur, Turnbull just shrugged and said, “No one else has one.”
“And I don’t think you can miss that!” chimed in Turnbull’s young daughter Suzanna.
A beat to run to
Runners from the professional athletes to the end of the line could hear a small band of neighbors give them a peppy beat around the halfway point of the marathon Monday, an annual tradition the residents and former Boston Marathon runners said is meant to give the athletes a boost.
“We’ve been here every year, coming to cheer everybody,” said Chiemi Morin, holding a tambourine as her fellow percussionists kept on with a cowbell and drums. “It’s good to have in the middle, you know, it’s not the end of the race. In the middle, you want to cheer everybody.”
The group, which includes some musicians, has “a lot of instruments,” Morin said, including also a pianica, triangle and more on Monday. As a previous runner of the marathon, Morin said, she liked 90’s hip hop, adding “that’s just how I grew up.”
“A lot of people go by the cadence, so this is probably really good cadence for them,” said Morin, noting that some dance, thumbs up and smile as they pass. “But I just want to give them some like, cheering up.”
First marathon, 29th birthday
For her birthday this year, Sarah Gately planned to celebrate with some pasta for dinner — after completing her very first marathon.
“We’re all here to support her,” said Gately’s fiance Caroline Briere, standing with a group waving colorful “Happy Birthday” signs as the runner neared. “We’re really excited.”
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Building veteran community
At the Friends of Wellesley Veterans tent along the marathon course, servicemembers found a gathering place to build community a one of greater Boston’s biggest events.
“One moment that stood out for me, that I think is proof of concept of what this group is doing, was a woman came up to us, sharing that she was in the Army during the Eisenhower administration, and served in Texas back then,” said Mario Texeira, father of a recent Army enlistee. “And she’s now been invited to join the (annual Wellesley Veterans Parade), so we’ll see if she’s able to come.”
Texeira described it as one “very special moment” of the day to see the “immense gratitude for being part of something greater and and having this group be here for her.”
At just two years old, the veterans’ organization is looking to build community at events like these, said Friends of Wellesley Veterans President Carl Nelson, as well as raise funds. The group had one runner, daughter of a veteran Jenifer Liu, who helped to raise $15,000, and one runner for the Wellesley War Memorial Scholarship Foundation, local army veteran Pete Roney.
The Friends of Wellesley Veterans is headed into a full schedule of events in the area in May, with the upcoming 58th annual Wellesley Veterans Parade, fireworks, historical presentation and more.
“I have found that it’s surprising how much the community needs something like this,” said Nelson. “And how they’re just touched by being thanked, particularly the Vietnam veterans who came back in difficult circumstances. The consistency that we are providing just touches them.”
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