Today over thirty thousand runners run the 120th Boston Marathon, the world’s oldest and most prestigious marathon. It’s also the 50th official year that women have been running. If you live in Massachusetts, you might have watched along the route some years for hours as you screamed support, urged runners on, shouted encouragement, and yelled “Keep going! You can do it! You’re almost there!”
The first American winner today was Tatyana McFadden, a racer in the women’s wheelchair division.
I’m listening to our national anthem played now in her honor.
My father began taking me to watch the Boston Marathon when I was very young, so young that he had to squat down to be at my level. We’d stand across from Tasty Treat in Ashland on Route 135, and he’d tell me which runners to watch for.
Attending large sporting events is fun and teaches us lessons. At the very least, we reflect on our own achievements and reinforce the goals we hope to reach.
Education Spring 
You have passed this tradition on to your daughters as well! Bringing kids to see a marathon can be a great experience to teach about sportsmanship, incorporate math using statistics and timing the athletes, and the history of the race.
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Thank you! I’m glad you raised sportsmanship, because the Boston Marathon is one of the few sporting events that I know of that bring all of us together to support the runners, praise their dedication and preparation, and volunteer to help.
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