BOSTON (AP) — Running the Boston Marathon is tough enough without having to jostle your way from Hopkinton to Copley Square.
So race organizers this year turned to an expert in crowd science to help them manage the field of more than 32,000 as it travels the 26.2 miles (42.195 kilometers) through eight Massachusetts cities and towns — some of it on narrow streets laid out during Colonial times.
“There are certain things that we can’t change — that we don’t want to change — because they make the Boston Marathon,” said Marcel Altenburg, a senior lecturer of crowd science at Manchester Metropolitan University in Britain. “Like, I’m a scientist, but I can’t be too science-y about the race. It should stay what it is because that’s what I love. That’s what the runners love.”
The world’s oldest and most prestigious annual marathon, the Boston race was inspired by the endurance test that made its debut at the inaugural modern Olympics in 1896 — itself a tribute to the route covered by the messenger Pheidippides, who ran to Athens with news of the Greek victory over the Persians in Marathon.
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After sharing the news — “Rejoice, we conquer!” — Pheidippides dropped dead.
Organizers of the Boston race would prefer a more pleasant experience for their runners, even as the field has ballooned from 15 in 1897 to as many as 38,000 to meet demand for the 100th edition in 1996. It has settled at around 30,000 since 2015.
As the race grew, it tested the limits of the narrow New England roads and the host cities and towns, which are eager to reopen their streets for regular commutes and commerce as quickly as possible.
“It would be kind of great someday to be able to grow the race a little bit more,” race director Dave McGillivray said. “The problem with this race is that it’s about two things: time and space. We don’t have either. … So, we’re trying to be innovative.”
That’s where Altenburg comes in.
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A former German army captain who runs ultra marathons himself, Altenburg has worked with all of the major races, other large sporting events, and airports and exhibitions that tend to attract large crowds on ways to keep things safe and flowing smoothly.
For the Boston Marathon, which draws hundreds of thousands of spectators in addition to the runners, his models allow him to run simulations that help him see how the race might play out under different conditions.
“We have simulated the Boston Marathon more than 100 times to run it once for real. That is the one that counts,” Altenburg said in a telephone interview. “They gave me, pretty much, all creative freedom to simulate more waves, simulate more runners and — within the existing time window — they allowed me to change pretty much anything for the betterment of the running experience.
“And then we checked every aid station, every mile, the finish, every important point, (asking): Is the result better for the runner? Is that something that we should explore further?”
The most noticeable difference on Monday will be that the runners are starting in six waves — groups organized by qualifying time — instead of three. The waves, which were first used in Boston in 2011, help spread things out so that runners don’t have to walk after the start, when Main Street in Hopkinton squeezes to just 39 feet wide.
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Other, less obvious changes involve the unloading of the buses at the start, the placement of the water and aid stations, and the finish line chutes, where runners get their medals, perhaps a mylar blanket or a banana, and any medical treatment they might need.
“For an event that’s as old as ours, 130 years, it allowed us to be a startup all over again,” said Lauren Proshan, the chief of race operations and production for the Boston Athletic Association.
“The change isn’t meant to be earth-shattering. It’s to be a smooth experience from start to finish,” she said. “It’s one of those things that you work really, really hard behind the scenes and hope that no one notices — a behind-the-curtain change that makes you feel as if you’re just floating and having a great day.”
Shorter porta potty lines would also be nice.
“What I loved about working with the BAA was how aware they are of what the Boston Marathon is. And they won’t change anything lightly,” Altenburg said. “So it was very detailed work from literally the moment the race last year ended to now. That we check every single option. That we really make sure that if we change something about this historic race, then we know what we’re doing.”
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The BAA will look at the feedback over the next three years before deciding about expansion or other changes.
“Fingers crossed, hope for the best, but we’ll get feedback from the participants,” McGillivray said. “And they’ll let us know whether or not it worked or not.”
But keeping the course open longer isn’t an option. And the route isn’t going to change. So there’s only so much that crowd science can help with at one of the toughest tests in sports.
“I can talk. I’m a scientist. I just press a button and it’s going to be,” Altenburg said. “But the runners still have to do it.”
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a close call between two commercial flights at Boston Logan International Airport on Saturday morning.
Flight tracking data shows the pilots of Delta Air Lines Flight 2351 aborted their approach for landing around 11:30 a.m. as American Airlines Flight 3161 was accelerating for takeoff on an intersecting runway.
Delta pilots performed an evasive go-around maneuver before the Airbus A319 landed safely and passengers deplaned normally, a Delta spokesperson said in a statement.
The two aircraft got within several hundred feet of each other, according to a CNN analysis of tracking data from Flightradar24.
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An air traffic controller asked the departing American Airlines flight where it was going, to which its pilot said the tower had cleared the aircraft for takeoff, according to air traffic control audio captured by ATC.com. American Airlines deferred questions from CNN to the FAA.
While experts say flying remains an incredibly safe way to travel, Saturday’s close call is the latest in a recent spate of aviation-related incidents the US, including four dramatic plane crashes, the ever-worsening problem of turbulence and strikingly similar close call and go-around investigations.
A go-around, or aborted landing, is an aviation term for discontinuing a landing and beginning an immediate climb, then following further instructions. The safety maneuver is used to prevent runway incursions – when aircraft, vehicles or people are incorrectly positioned on a runway – as well as to counter other hazards, like sudden wind shifts and less-than-ideal approaches.
While go-arounds can feel jarring to passengers, they are still considered common and happen daily in the US, Michael McCormick, a former FAA air traffic manager and an associate professor in air traffic management at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, previously told CNN.
“Passengers aren’t told in advance it’s going to happen, but they’ll recognize it when suddenly they’re coming in to land and the aircraft just starts rising back up again,” McCormick said, again noting go-arounds are routine.
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“This is something that pilots practice in flight simulators on a regular basis,” he added.
The Boston Fleet have signed defender Rylind MacKinnon to a one-year contract bringing back the 5-foot-10 defender.
Last season was MacKinnon’s first with the Fleet, whhere she recorded one assist in 28 appearances, and also played in three games.
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According to the Fleet MacKinnon added “grit and physicality to the team’s blue line.”
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The 26-year-old British Columbia product signed as a free agent with the Toronto Sceptres after going unselected in the 2024 PWHL Draft playing 22 games for the Sceptres as a rookie.
Collegiately, MacKinnon was the University of British Columbia’s all-time leading scorer by a defender.
Boston now has 13 players signed including MacKinnon, Loren Gabel, Ella Huber, Laura Kluge, Shay Maloney, Olivia Mobley, Jill Saulnier, Liz Schepers, Sophie Shirley Susanna Tapani Amanda Thiele, Megan Keller, Haley Winn, and Aerin Frankel.
Despite concerns about transportation and crowd management, the region’s biggest World Cup day yet appeared to unfold largely without major problems.
Morocco fans, many of whom celebrated on Shirley Avenue in Revere, rejoiced after their win against Scotland.
“We’re going to go very far in this World Cup,” predicted David Lalou, a Moroccan fan from Casablanca who saw the game live.
Here’s how Friday’s festivities unfolded.
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The drinks continued flowing
Mayor Michelle Wu announced Thursday that in two zones in the city – the Temple Place Social District and the Union-Marshall Street district – it would be legal for patrons to consume alcohol outdoors.
The measure took effect Friday, and bygame time the two zones hadquickly become lively block parties, complete with live music and hearty Scottish accents.
Zachary Lobel, 22, of Newton, and Ruairidh Davidson, 24, of Inverness, Scotland, independently brought their bagpipes to Union Street. The pair found each other, and acrowd of people gathered to watch them play.
Zachary Lobel (left) and Ruairidh Davidson, both carrying a set of bagpipes, meet at a World Cup street party.Ariela Lopez
George Comeau, a senior event manager with the Downtown Boston Alliance, organized the outdoor alcohol consumption zone on Temple Place. He estimated at 6:30 p.m. that 4,000 fans were watching the Scotland-Morocco game from the party there.
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Onthe Common, a free watch party attracted fans of every competing team.
Stan Abraham, 38, of Jamaica Plain, came with friends to support Haiti in itsmatch against Brazil.
“I just got to be around my people, around the energy,” he said.
Stan Abraham, 38, waves a Haitian flag at Boston Common.Ariela Lopez
Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey, who isup for reelection this year, shook hands and posed for pictures with gleeful Scottish fans outside The Dubliner, the popular Government Center bar.
“I would’ve said it was impossible to drink Boston dry, but clearly [the Scots] are here and they are testing the capacity of the city to serve them,” Markey said. “It’s just a happy week.”
Scotland fans wear jerseys as they wait outside The Dubliner bar before a FIFA World Cup watch party June 13 in Boston.Mel Musto/Getty
In the Boston Public Market, which extended its hours for FIFA Fan Fest, thirsty Scottish fans did just that, lining up through the narrow Boston Beer Alley, their arms filled with as much alcohol as they could carry.
“I don’t think we’ll last all night,” said owner Dawa Sangpo.
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Also in the Public Market were Moroccan fans, many of whom frequented Mo’Rockin Fusion, a fast-casual restaurant where the food is inspired by owner Morad Bouzidi’s childhood in Morocco.
“It’s 100 percent the Moroccan experience,” Bouzidi said.
Yes, the World Cup is in Boston, but, like, not actually in Boston.
As was the case before last week’s game, South Station was packed, but some fans reported an easier commuting experience this time and Globe reporters observed a quick-moving queue.
“I had a pretty smooth experience,” said James Pennie, who is visiting from Vancouver but is originally from Scotland.
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Near 3 p.m., as a final few fans jogged through the queue to enter South Station, MBTA employees yelled out encouragement.
“No Scotland, no party!” they said.
Members of the Tartan Army sing and cheer together as they take a school bus to Boston Stadium in Foxborough for Scotland’s World Cup game against Morocco on Friday.Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff
Richard Sullivan, the Transit Police superintendent, said the fans were “a very orderly crew.” The MBTA sold over 19,000 tickets to and from Foxborough as of 3 p.m. Friday.
“The queues were very minimal,” said Phil Eng, the MBTA’s general manager. “We got everyone through.”
But not everyone took the commuter rail. A Globe photographer witnessed a convoy of 12 school buses, packed to the brim with Scottish fans, pulling into South Bay to pick up online alcohol orders, before going on to Foxborough.
Members of the Tartan Army stop at South Bay to load up on alcohol as they take a school bus to Foxborough for Scotland’s World Cup game against Morocco on Friday.Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff
A duck ? Leading a parade? And what was that about Gronk?
Patriots legends Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman appeared on Fox’s pregame show wearing kilts, accompanied by a man playing bagpipes.
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Edelman and Gronkowski applauded the Scots’ drinking prowess after they drank some Boston bars out of beer over the last week.
“The last time it happened was after we won the Super Bowl in 2015 against the Seattle Seahawks,” quipped Gronkowski.
And in Providence, a famous duck named Dawn led Scottish fans on a very orderly march. In a video shared on Dawn’s Tiktok page, the little creatures waddles forwards, a small Scottish flag on its back, while leagues of kilted men with bagpipes march behind it.
Jessica Rinaldi, Omar Mohammed, and Amin Touri of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Globe correspondents Ariela Lopez, Aayushi Datta, Lauren Albano, Audrey Tomlin, Jaden Perry, and Emily Spatz also contributed.
Truman Dickerson can be reached at truman.dickerson@globe.com.
