Marathon banners show ‘special spirit of the city’
The 2017 John Hancock Boston Marathon street banners were unveiled yesterday next to the marathon finish line on Boylston Street.
“Each person, the Boston Marathon stands for something different,” Mayor Martin J. Walsh said at the ceremony outside of the Marathon Sports store in the Back Bay. “For runners all over the world, it’s their biggest stage. It’s the ultimate test of endurance and passion. For many, it’s about giving back and community service. … For me, it’s a day when Bostonians and people from all backgrounds come together to line the streets to celebrate one another.”
The brightly colored, illustrated banners display John Hancock’s 2017 Boston Marathon theme, “Make it Your Moment.” They display different images of what inspires people along their Boston Marathon journey.
“The Boston Marathon has come to represent the strength, resilience and goodwill of the people of Boston,” Walsh said. “It embodies not only every moment that has made up the history of the race, but also the special spirit of our city. I thank John Hancock for their partnership in ensuring the Boston Marathon continues to be one of the world’s best.”
“The oldest marathon on the planet, this global sport of marathoning may be the most competitive sport in the world,” said four-time Boston Marathon winner Bill Rodgers, who revealed the first banners alongside Olympic marathoners Eric Gillis and Desiree Linden. “We see that every year here on Patriots Day in Boston … we’re kind of used to it in a way … I think the people of New England, the United States and around the world, when they see this race, there’s that great sense of the energy that the sport brings to everybody that takes part … It’s just the excitement of it.”