People react to an explosion at the 2013 Boston Marathon in Boston, Monday, April 15, 2013. (AP2013)
Making room for many of those who want to run as a tribute to the bombing victims, the Boston Marathon will accept an extra 9,000 runners for next year's race.
Registration for the 118th edition of the world's oldest and most prestigious annual marathon will open Sept. 9, the Boston Athletic Association said.
"The BAA is aware of the significantly increased interest in registering for the 2014 Boston Marathon," executive director Tom Grilk said in a statement Thursday. "We understand many marathoners and qualifiers want to run Boston in 2014, and we appreciate the support and patience that the running community has demonstrated because of the bombings that occurred this past spring."
The expanded field of 36,000 for the April 21, 2014, race would be the second largest in the event's history, behind only the 38,708 who registered for the 100th anniversary race in 1996. Organizers have said they are forced to cap the field size because they have limited space at the start in Hopkinton and on some of the course's Colonial-era streets.
This year's field size was set after talks with the eight cities and towns along the route.
"Interested runners have been remarkably respectful and cooperative as we worked towards what will be an important day in the history of the race, the sport and the city of Boston," Grilk said.
The 2013 Boston Marathon was shut down at 2:50 p.m. — about four hours into the race — when a pair of explosions at the Boylston Street finish line killed two people and injured hundreds more. A total of 5,624 runners who were stopped on the course were allowed to register early for 2014. Registration for those runners took place this week and was scheduled to end at 5 p.m. on Thursday.
More than 4,500 of those who had reached the halfway point but not the finish line have registered for next year's race, the BAA said. They were required to pay the entry fee — $175 for U.S. residents and $225 for international residents — but they did not have to rerun another race at a qualifying time.
Based on reporting by The Associated Press.
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