Boston Marathon

The incident at the Boston Marathon where Newton police surrounded members of two racially diverse running clubs along the course has called attention to how runners of color often feel unwelcome at races, locally and across the country.

Adrienne R. Benton, a marathoner who ran her first 5K race just eight years ago, has been named to the Boston Athletic Association’s Board of Governors, becoming the first woman of color to serve in this role in the organization’s 135-year-history.

The Indigenous Peoples Day (IPD) Newton Committee began circulating a petition April 1 calling on the Boston Athletic Association (BAA) to change the date of the Boston Marathon. The effort came after the City of Newton denied the group a permit to use a desired park for their first Indigenous Peoples Day celebration on Oct. 11, 2021.