Boston was back in the news and on everyone’s mind Wednesday, and it wasn’t because of snow.
The trial of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev opened just 53 days before the Boston Marathon and will likely last well into June. Until then, many Americans are wondering what will happen to Tsarnaev, who assisted in setting off two bombs at the 2013 Boston Marathon with his brother, Tamerlan.
The New York Times would go on to call it the “worst terrorist attack on American soil since Sept. 11, 2001.”
Tsarnaev’s attorney opened and admitted right away that her client is guilty of participating, but does not deserve to be put to death. The 21-year-old now faces 30 federal charges, 17 of which carry the death penalty. The bombings resulted in three deaths and 260 injuries.
While we try to put this dark chapter behind us, Bostonians, Americans and runners from around the world are focusing instead on the famous road race next month.

While we try to put this dark chapter behind us, Bostonians, Americans and runners from around the world are focusing instead on the famous road race next month.

The Boston Marathon, the world’s oldest annually run marathon, has always been a cornerstone of not only Massachusetts, but the culture of the entire New England region.
And it’s far more than just a foot race. It’s an opportunity to serve your community, no matter where that community may be. Most of the runners are not in it for the race. Many, such as UNH’s Theresa Conn, are running the race for charity. According to a report on Boston.com, last year’s marathon raised over $38 million for over 300 non-profits.
Each year everything seems to be put on hold for Marathon Monday, whether you’re tuning in on television or heading down to watch from the finish line.
The symbolism of the marathon changed after the bombings of 2013, but not for the worst. More runners came out for the marathon the next year and it became a focal point of uniting a city and the region.
And the unifying spirit of it hasn’t worn off one bit since 2013. That was clear when a mysterious man was seen shoveling snow off the finish line in the middle of a January blizzard this year. That man turned out to be 25-year-old Chris Laudani, a Suffolk graduate and the older brother of TNH’s own Greg Laudani. Chris and Greg ran the marathon in 2013 and were within a couple miles of the finish when the bombs went off on Boylston Street.
“It’s more about the finish line itself, what it represents to me. The love of something that is way bigger than any of us,” Chris told The Boston Globe in January.
While news will continue to stream out of Federal Court in Boston, we will be watching. But on April 20, Marathon Monday, the Tsarnaev brothers won’t be mentioned. They don’t matter.
The only people who do are the ones that will finish the race and the people they are finishing the race for.