April 19, 1897, was the first ever Boston Marathon. At the time, the course was only 24.5 miles long and was an all-male event with 15 runners. In 1924, it was extended to its current length of 26.2 miles. In 1972, women were officially allowed to enter the race – and all eight women who competed crossed the finish line. Over the years, the Boston Marathon has become an internationally prestigious race. Held on the third Monday of April, on Massachusetts’ state holiday Patriots’ Day, the race commemorates the Battles of Lexington and Concord as runners make their way through eight small towns from Hopkinton to Boston.
Each year’s race brings its own fame and stories, but the 2018 Boston Marathon was an especially historic one. The start time of the race typically corresponds to the Boston Red Sox baseball game so that fans can watch runners pass Fenway Park, but the annual Sox game was canceled due to the weather for the first time since 1984. It was the coldest race in 30 years with temperature checking in at 30 F at the start, along with heavy rain, and wind gusts of over 25 miles per hour. But even with such inclement weather, 26,948 runners trekked out to the starting line and 25,746 crossed the finish.
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Including, of course, both our male and female winner. Desiree Linden, two-time Olympian, became the first American woman to win the Boston Marathon in 33 years. She crossed the finish line at 2:39:54. In the men’s race, Japanese runner Yuki Kawauchi, an unsponsored amateur, took home his first marathon victory at 2:15:58, and became the first Japanese man to win the Marathon since 1987.
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Each and every Boston Marathon runner had courage and perseverance to get across the finish line yesterday. The photos show the fire burning in their eyes and the passion pushing them to keep going, to run faster, and to run harder. These images commemorating their trek and their finish will be preserved in history.
Like with photography of any sport, capturing the right moment takes planning, skill, as well as a little luck. And when shooting outside, the weather doesn’t always cooperate, you have to be ready to shoot in bright sunlight, cloudy, dreary skies, or pouring rain (especially for the Boston Marathon that has never been canceled in the 122 years it’s been running.) No matter the conditions, KelbyOne can offer you tips on techniques and gear you need to capture your own inspiring race photos, all for as little as $9.99/mo. Learn the best shooting positions from legendary sports photography Peter Read Miller. Take control of your own lighting for outdoor sports photography and discuss the right gear with Dave Black. And check out some on-location examples with Sports Illustrated photographer Bill Frakes.
With plenty of races all over the United States, and around the world, there are plenty of locations to visit to test your skills. Or check out more highlights of this year’s race and learn how to be involved in the 2019 Boston Marathon.
Happy running and Happy shooting!
