Boston ramps up security for 129th marathon with barriers, checkpoints
With 30,000 runners and about half a million spectators ready to rally, top Boston officials laid out the enhanced public safety plans for the 129th Boston Marathon — aiming for a secure event that welcomes all to celebrate the city's resilience and athletic spirit.
No credible threats specific to the weekend's events or Monday's race have been identified, said Allen Davis, FBI Boston's special agent-in-charge, at a press conference Friday morning at the Fairmont Copley Plaza.
Davis was joined by multiple other Boston and state public safety officials, along with Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Jack Fleming, president and CEO of the Boston Athletic Association (BAA), which organizes the marathon.
However, Davis said the agency does consider terrorism threats against Boston as "elevated" given the city's many patriotic and significant landmarks that could be targeted as part of the symbolic race.
"What concerns us most are homegrown violent extremists or alone actors, those who self-radicalize with little to no warning, and they look for soft targets and easily accessible weapons, like the tragedy we witnessed on New Year's Day in New Orleans ," Davis said.
To "prevent any type of vehicle attack," there will be a "myriad of physical barriers" along the entire route, said State Police Colonel Geoffrey Noble.
Additionally, a "large number" of uniformed troopers and both plainclothes and uniformed Boston Police officers will be stationed along the entirety of the 26.2-mile course, which runs through eight cities and towns from Hopkinton to Boston, Noble said.
Security checkpoints will be enhanced this year, Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox said, with strict and thorough bag checks at multiple locations along the race route. Large bags are not allowed, Cox said, and he encouraged attendees to bring no bags at all, as the checkpoint lines "will be pretty long."
Attendees also cannot bring drones, weapons, suitcases, coolers, glass containers or cans larger than 1 liter, Noble said. Spectators must stay off the race course, and smoking and public drinking are prohibited.
From left to right: FBI Boston Special Agent-in-Charge Alan Davis; Massachusetts State Police Colonel Geoffrey Noble; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; MBTA Transit Police Chief Kenneth Green, at the 129th Boston Marathon press conference for public safety on April 18.(Irene Rotondo)
Medical service will also be upped this year with additional responders along the route with medical stations, the officials said.
The MBTA has issued a traffic advisory with a complete list of road closures and parking restrictions ahead of the parade, which can be viewed at this link . Chief Kenneth Green with the MBTA Transit Police encouraged attendees to utilize public transportation and expect congestion.
All of the Boston officials, including Wu, reiterated the same phrase: "If you see something, say something."
"We can't stress enough the importance of speaking up when you come across someone or something that doesn't seem quite right ... When people come forward, history has shown that we increase our chances of preventing tragedies," FBI agent Davis said.
To coordinate all of the law enforcement at the marathon, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) will activate its communication hub at the start of the race, said MEMA Director Dawn Brantley.
The Boston Office of Emergency Management has also "integrated some new technologies" this year to enhance public communication and situational awareness, said Chief of Emergency Preparedness Adrian Jordan.
The marathon is set to kick off in Hopkinton on Monday, April 21, and the finish line is on Boylston Street in Boston, near the Boston Public Library.
