After members of two racially diverse running clubs said they were overpoliced while watching the Boston Marathon Monday in Newton, the head of the group that organizes the race issued a statement saying he'd met with the groups and acknowledged their concerns.
"They expressed to us their deep concerns that they were not given the chance to enjoy the day and celebrate their friends, family and all participants as they approached Heartbreak Hill – that is on us," Boston Athletic Association President and CEO Jack Fleming said. "It is our job, and we need to do better to create an environment that is welcoming and supportive of BIPOC communities at the marathon."
Members of TrailblazHers Run Co and PIONEERS Run Crew have said Black members were singled out by the Newton Police Department. Images posted to social media by members of the groups show officers lining the street, appearing to use bicycles to block off the course.
"We create a welcoming environment for our friends to come from every city to come and cheer their friends on, and we tend to be heavily Black and brown," Sid Baptise of PIONEERS Run Crew told NBC10 Boston Tuesday. "We have our music, we're doing nothing different than what anybody else is doing, and we just felt like we were targeted."
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Massachusetts' attorney general has been looking into the claims, while the Newton Police Department said Wednesday its officers "responded respectfully" after being told by marathon organizers of people getting onto the course.
Fleming's statement also noted that the BAA relies on the communities the marathon runs through, as well as law enforcement.
In a letter Wednesday to Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller and Newton Police Chief John Carmichael, Lawyers for Civil Rights requested records, including audio and video recordings from the area of Mile 21 Monday.
Newton police said in a statement Tuesday that the Boston Athletic Association notified it three times during the race about spectators going past the rope barrier and impeding runners.
"The Newton Police Department responded respectfully and repeatedly requesting that spectators stay behind the rope and not encroach onto the course," the department wrote in the statement. "When spectators continued to cross the rope, NPD with additional officers calmly used bicycles for a short period to demarcate the course and keep both runners and spectators safe."
In Fuller's weekly newsletter on Thursday, she repeated the police department's explanation from two days earlier. She also called the running clubs "terrific champions of a diverse and inclusive running culture," adding, "We love having them here in Newton on Marathon Day, cheering on runners as they approach Heartbreak Hill."
"We know this was very upsetting for these spectators. We have heard their deep concerns," Fuller's statement continued. "Police Chief John Carmichael and I look forward to speaking with the Pioneers Run Crew and the TrailblazHers Run Co. about what happened and how we can do better in the future, if and when that works for them. We look forward to welcoming these running clubs back next year. We will join in their enthusiasm, working with everyone to keep the day safe and joyous for athletes, spectators, volunteers and supporters."
