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HOPKINTON, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — For two Patriots Days, the crowds didn't come to Hopkinton. But Monday, as a long-delayed 125th Boston Marathon took off, locals celebrated alongside swarms of visitors once again.
20,000 visitors and closed-off roads caused major problems for anyone trying to get around, but that's just part of the tradition for many residents. Amy lives down the street from the starting line. "Definitely have to go around the traffic, but the hype of it all and seeing it from start to finish—I used to go from Hopkinton to Wellesley to Boston with my Family. It's just a great area to live in."
In the encompassing positivity of the day, Christine said she 'even loves' the traffic. "I love the people stopping, taking their pictures at the start line."
In years past, Jane would go out of her way to avoid traffic and crowds as her Marathon Monday routine. "But this time I decided to try it." she laughed. "No more kids at home."
It takes a few years to get the hang of things, said Craig, but the Hopkinton community looks forward to marathon day like no other. "Everyone embraces it; everyone has a great community around it; everyone's here to help and support it and make it successful."
JP from Weymouth said he'd run the Boston Marathon for the last 20 years, but not this time. He just got in from Chicago Sunday night, running that marathon over the weekend. Still, JP came out early to the starting line and carried on his two-decade tradition from the spectator's side.
"I'm walking a little funny, but I feel good," said JP. "If you can find meaning in what people consider an ordinary, boring thing—to exhaust yourself—then you can find meaning in something else called life."
WBZ's Matt Shearer (@MattWBZ) reports:
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