Boston’s residents recently reflected on the one year anniversary of a day that changed their lives, the Boston Marathon Bombing. Three people died in the 2013 bombing, and over 260 were wounded. It changed the lives of people all over the world. 

The world-renown Boston Marathon took place on Monday, despite the bombing of the marathon a year before. The people of Boston wanted to let the world know they would not let the bombing affect them negatively. At the start line, the race announcer shouted to the runners, “Take back that finish line!”

 There were 9,000 more runners than usual, and a much larger crowd gathered for the event. More than 5,000 of the runners in the marathon ran in last year’s marathon as well. The runners and spectators showed bravery and resilience, and let the world know they were not going to let the bombings bring them down.

As expected, security was extremely tight in this year’s marathon. Backpacks were not allowed on the course, and suits that cover the face or bulky clothes with several pockets were also prohibited. There were twice as many police officers monitoring the streets during the race, and more than 100 cameras were set up along the route. There were also more than 50 “observation points” for authorities to monitor the crowd.

All of the competitors successfully crossed the finish line at the end of the race, with no interruptions. It was an individual victory for each person.