BOSTON — The head of the Boston Athletic Association is admitting that the Boston Marathon organizer must “do better” after Pioneers Run Crew and another racially diverse running group were blocked by police officers at their cheering spot in Newton on Marathon Monday.
B.A.A.’s leaders met with Pioneers Run Crew and TrailblazHers Run Co., on Wednesday night after Newton Police officers with bicycles lined up at their tent along Heartbreak Hill at Mile 21. This restricted the group’s cheering access to the road and their ability to give out high fives to runners. Cops also took positions behind the group’s tent.
The police officers did this after the B.A.A. had alerted police three times about spectators crossing the rope barrier and impeding runners. Pioneers Run Crew and other running groups have noted that thousands of spectators jump onto the course, but this type of police presence only happened to a group of predominantly Black and brown spectators.
