BOSTON (AP) 鈥 The Boston Marathon and Mayor Michelle Wu insisted on Friday that international runners and other foreign visitors remain welcome in the city and said there is no evidence that travel for this year鈥檚 race has fallen off in the face of increased border scrutiny.
鈥淩egardless of what鈥檚 happening at other levels, and particularly now at the federal level, in Boston we welcome everyone,鈥 Wu said at a public safety media briefing not far from the finish line. 鈥淲e seek to be a home for everyone.鈥
A cherished event for runners and spectators alike, staged on the state holiday of Patriots鈥 Day commemorating the battles of Lexington and Concord that sparked the American Revolution 250 years ago, the Boston Marathon is the world鈥檚 oldest and most prestigious annual long-distance race.
It has taken on 鈥 鈥 since 2013, when two pressure-cooker bombs exploded near the finish line, killing three people and wounding hundreds more. (Allen Davis, the assistant special agent in charge of the FBI鈥檚 Boston office, said at the briefing that there were 鈥渘o credible or specific threats鈥 to Monday鈥檚 race.)
This year鈥檚 marathon has more than 30,000 entrants from 128 countries. Boston Athletic Association President Jack Fleming said the 129th edition of the race was full 鈥 thousands more are turned away 鈥 and there鈥檚 been no indication that those registered are staying home.
鈥淲e have a lot of demand this year, as we do every year,鈥 he said.
But as U.S. officials track plummeting tourism numbers, with many would-be visitors angered by President Donald and and alarmed by stories about tourists being , reports say at least some potential marathon attendees have decided to skip the race.
春色直播s have been by Trump鈥檚 talk of making the . Paula Roberts-Banks, a writer and photographer from Rosseau, Ontario, who has run Boston 12 times, that she earned a coveted bib for this year鈥檚 race but decided not to run because she has 鈥渟oured鈥 on the U.S.
鈥淚 simply don鈥檛 want to go there,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t feels like a breakup.鈥
British runner Calli Hauger-Thackery, a 2024 Olympian who is entered in the women鈥檚 professional field, said she has never experienced a problem coming to the U.S. but she worries now that that might change.
鈥淚t does scare me traveling a little bit, at the moment,鈥 she said, adding that she is married to an American and has a visa. 鈥淚 hope it鈥檚 enough for them to not flag me or anything coming in and out of the States.鈥
Most of the 31,941 entrants in Monday's race were required to qualify at another marathon, and many of them view running Boston as a lifelong athletic goal. Still, about 10% of the field typically does not toe the starting line in Hopkinton for reasons that range from injuries to weather to the 2010 eruption of a volcano in Iceland that halted flights and prevented hundreds of Europeans from traveling to Boston.
In last year鈥檚 field of 29,333 entrants, there were 2,838 who failed to start. Race officials say they will not know how many no-shows there are this year until Monday; even then, they won鈥檛 know why.
鈥淲e do not have data as to why people may or may not be coming to Boston," Fleming said. "At the BAA, our goal is to create a marathon experience that is very welcoming and joyous. Every year, we focus on that goal and we are confident that we have done everything in our power to achieve that this year.鈥
Wu said she hoped visitors would look past the geopolitical climate and 鈥減articipate in this very, very important global tradition that should transcend politics and should transcend the issues of the day.鈥
And that's just what Australian Patrick Tiernan plans to do.
鈥淭here are some unfortunate situations going on in the U.S. right now, but I don鈥檛 think that should have to taint what鈥檚 happening here, and the history of this race,鈥 said the two-time Olympian, who was an NCAA cross country champion at Villanova. 鈥淚 think everybody鈥檚 very excited to be here and excited to compete on Monday.鈥
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