The Bruce Freeman Rail Trail, near Lowell in early October, weeks before the Boston Marathon.
The COVID-19 pandemic vastly changed the running culture for runners, race coordinators, and the industry itself. Many runners face a stark dilemma: improve their performance by training with others or running alone to reduce the risk of COVID-19.
With the virus and the potential for further transmission, certain experiences — such as the notorious Wellesley College scream tunnel at the Boston Marathon where some college women collect kisses from runners and congratulatory high-fives and hugs at the finish line from complete strangers — are replaced by solo runners trotting along a route of their choosing and uploading selfies with time-proofs to an application as evidence of running a "race," but only virtually. What's lost is the energy and companionship so many runners thrive on — no names over the loudspeaker called off with times, no groups to meet at the beer tent once a friend crosses the finish line, and certainly no traditional counting of kisses in the scream tunnel.
Even simple race day acts, like using a public bathroom, can cause alarm for runners who are at high risk for infection. For race coordinators, there is the strain of resources and volunteer coordination in accordance with the latest CDC guidelines, which require additional space for items such as medical tents and masks. Across the running industry, changes were necessary to facilitate running demands and increase the likelihood of small business survival in local areas.
For runners with families, there were additional stresses. "I feel like I tested the waters, and felt guilty with young kids at home," said Sara Robison of Galesburg, Ill., a mother of three children aged 10, 8 and 4. "I was riskier than I should have been [working out with a group]." As a result, Robison and her husband have changed their behavior. "[We] now opt to stay at home and run on a treadmill, or I run by myself outside in order to minimize the risk for our three kids."
Robison and her husband, Trent, with their three children
Robison, who was previously a competitive athlete, running in races throughout the Midwest, now feels confined to the roads near her home and the hum of a treadmill motor in the background as she watches a screen in front of her during each step on a rotating belt. Robison and her family love to be outdoors and compete. She now says that they will not likely venture out again in the same way for a long time.
Allison Criscenzo, a runner for seven years who has competed in multiple half marathons and recently ran her first full marathon in Boston, explained how the changes brought on by the pandemic began at the starting line of a half marathon. "[It was] strange to stand in a large group of people," she said, describing her feelings of nervousness. Unlike the Boston Marathon, there was no mandate for vaccine verification or negative test.
Allison Criscenzo shows the medal from her first-ever Marathon
Criscenzo has not stepped foot into a gym in nearly two years due to the fear of COVID-19. With that, she and her roommate hit the roads, away from large groups and was running with facemasks for months. Criscenzo's number one concern throughout her four-month marathon training was trying not to contract the virus, especially as the race drew closer — "four months of training down the drain," she finished.
For the Boston Marathon, not only was there a decreased race capacity due to COVID-19, but there were additional requirements of either negative tests prior to entering the race expo, which took place a few days prior to the race, or proof of COVID-19 vaccine. From there, runners were required to wear face masks on race day, starting prior to getting on the bus and until they were ready to start the race in Hopkinton. Trash cans were provided at the start line for runners to discard their masks prior to the rolling start, which was also an adjustment for those who were not elite runners; in the past, groups, or "waves" of runners would start at the same time. This was a way to mitigate the risk of larger crowds at the starting line, enabling people to maintain social distancing. Throughout the race, masked volunteers wore gloves as they handed out food and hydration to competitors. Once crossing over the infamous finish line in the heart of Boston by the public library and in front of a Marathon Sports store, runners were immediately met with yet another face mask instead of the finishers medal — the one piece of jewelry that cannot be bought in any store — that came much later in the corral.
Runners must show proof of vaccine or be subject to testing
From a running industry's perspective, Erin Pustarfi and Nick Brown, manager and sales clerk at Marathon Sports in Melrose, explains a slight variation of the same story regarding the impact of COVID-19 on the running culture across the state and surrounding areas. Marathon Sports is a parent company to Sound Runner and Runners ally, which is located in Connecticut and New Hampshire. In-store sales across the area "tanked" for a period of about eight months during the pandemic in 2020. However, the industry saw a significant spike in online sales — "the warehouse was busy" as Brown explained a friend's experience trying to keep up with the online demands for those who purchased gear while in the safety of their home.
According to Pustarfi, Marathon Sports had to explore options to "beef up" their online presence and navigate virtual fittings via platforms like Zoom. She explained that it took them out of their comfort zone because it also required them to be able to explain the technology over the phone or coach a person through how to angle the computer and camera to watch a person walk across a floor at home. For now, their day-to-day life is mostly back to pre-COVID, experiencing people who are excited to have human connection again, except for masks and social distancing; however, the logistical impact of COVID-19 is still affecting the business. Supply chain issues are expected to last through the winter. Pustarfi explained that the warehouse is pushing to "stockpile" supplies to meet even the diminished demands for the upcoming winter, where they generally see a slowed market.
Despite such a change in the tactical — how to buy gear, adjusting to running alone, masking up until the clock starts — the resilience of the running culture proves that there is grit in people across these communities and shows perseverance through such a devastating time.
