Finishing the Boston Marathon can be overwhelming - literally blood, sweat and tears are shed as the realization of what these runners just accomplished sinks in.
Amber Jenson of Utah said through tears, "It means everything to me, I worked so hard for this and I just lost my dad last week and I just know he was with me."
Many of these athletes run in teams - none more inspiring over the years than Team Hoyt. This year, husband and wife team Chris Benyo and Denise DiMarzo crossed the finish line covered in roses from fans and beaming with smiles.
"She was amazing, she's my inspiration, one in 20,000 people survive with ALS and we're in our fifth year, she is my wife, my inspiration," Benyo said.
Others didn't plan to have a running partner.
"It wasn't initially planned but I'm 18 weeks today," Kim Tanner of Cleveland, Ohio, said.
But good coaching helped Kim Tanner accomplish what seemed impossible.
Massachusetts
The latest news from around the state
"Your baby's already going to have a Boston under their belt, lots of your baby's getting more cheers than you right now you can do this," Tanner's running partner Jessica Campagna said.
