Boston Without the Marathon: Eerie, Empty, and Peaceful Scenes From Patriots’ Day 2020
Rather than buzzing with some 30,000 runners and many more spectators, the Boston Marathon course was deserted.
Every year on the third Monday of April, around 30,000 runners gather in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, for the start of the Boston Marathon.
For many, just getting to the start line is something to celebrate, due to the strict time standards runners need to hit in order to qualify for the race. The course travels from Hopkinton toward the finish line on Boylston Street in Boston, hitting several small towns and landmarks, and the notorious Newton hills, along the way. Throughout the 26.2 miles, runners are cheered on by throngs of spectators of all types, from running clubs rooting for their members to the students of Wellesley College and Boston College offering kisses and words of encouragement.
This year, however, the streets of Boston were empty on the planned race day of April 20. Due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus, the 2020 Boston Marathon was postponed to September 14. This is the first time that the marathon hasn’t happened on Patriots’ Day since the event debuted 127 years ago.
On what would have been race day in Boston, photographer Alex Gagne headed out on the course to capture images of the eerily quiet streets. Here’s what he saw.
Silence on the starting line in Hopkinton.
A masked statue of George V. Brown, a Hopkinton resident who started the Boston Marathon for 33 years.
Cloudy skies above the “Marathon Way” street sign in Hopkinton.
Wellesley College sits empty of student spectators.
No kisses are given out this year for runners passing the Wellesley Scream Tunnel.
An empty stretch near Newton.
The famous Newton firehouse, a landmark signaling the start of the Newton Hills, stands at attention. Meanwhile, McGreevy’s sports bar, a pre- and post-race favorite, is closed.
Masks and beads dress the statue honoring John Kelley, who completed 58 Boston Marathons, along Heartbreak Hill.
An abandoned Copley station in downtown Boston.
Left onto Boylston Street.
The final stretch toward the finish line.
Silence around the Boston Marathon bombing victims’ memorial.
The Boston Public Library on Boylston Street.
Usually repainted before race day, the finish line remained cracked this year.
The Boston Marathon finish, deserted—for now.
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