Race organisers of the Boston Marathon have enlisted a crowd scientist to help manage the growing field of more than 32,000 runners as they navigate the 26.2-mile course through eight Massachusetts cities and towns, some on narrow streets dating back to Colonial times.
Marcel Altenburg, a senior lecturer in crowd science at Manchester Metropolitan University, has worked with the Boston Athletic Association (BAA) to simulate the race over 100 times before Monday's event. His models allow him to test different conditions and optimise the runner experience without altering the race's historic character.
“There are certain things that we can’t change — that we don’t want to change — because they make the Boston Marathon,” Altenburg said. “Like, I’m a scientist, but I can’t be too science-y about the race. It should stay what it is because that’s what I love. That’s what the runners love.”
The most noticeable change this year is the expansion from three starting waves to six, based on qualifying times. This helps spread runners out after the start, where Main Street in Hopkinton narrows to just 39 feet. Other less visible adjustments involve bus unloading, placement of water and aid stations, and the finish line chutes.
“For an event that’s as old as ours, 130 years, it allowed us to be a startup all over again,” said Lauren Proshan, chief of race operations and production for the BAA. “The change isn’t meant to be earth-shattering. It’s to be a smooth experience from start to finish.”
The BAA will evaluate feedback over the next three years before deciding on further changes. Race director Dave McGillivray noted that growing the race further is constrained by time and space, but innovation remains key.
