Boston Marathon spectators cite racism from police in cheer zone on race route

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A running YouTuber called out out police at the Boston Marathon for racially targeting a cheer zone near the strenuous Heartbreak Hill.

A cheer zone in Mile 21 of the race was guarded heavily by police presence, much to the dismay of the spectators in attendance.

The Boston Herald says that the Pioneers Run Crew was holding a gathering at a Mile 21 cheer zone, a notoriously difficult stretch in the race in Newton, filled with grills and barbecues with music to up the fun. 

Remy B Reel (whose real name is Mike Remy), a member of the club, filmed some of his interactions with police.

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Police officers walk near the finish line during the 127th Boston Marathon in Boston, Massachusetts on April 17, 2023. - 30,239 people are entered to run the 26.2 mile (42.2K) race from a total of 106 countries and all 50 US states.  This year also is the 10 year anniversary of the 2013 bombings.  (Photo by JOSEPH PREZIOSO)

"Not the kind of reporting I'm trying to do here, but we got [cops] all around here, and hella cops right behind us. Why are we surrounded by the police? Why are we surrounded by police?" he asked in the video.

Remy also asked police if "it [was] like this the whole way of the course."

The YouTuber showed footage from earlier in the race when he was high-fiving several racers.

"I know at mile 21, I'd like to high five," he later said in the video.

"We can't cheer no more. I guess we can't cheer no more…" he continued. "We're cheering too loud? We're supporting our friends too much?"

Remy said the police presence did an awful lot to kind of take the air out of my balloons, the wind out of my sails, so to speak."

Runners stream down Boylston Street as rain falls on the 127th Boston Marathon. (Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

"There just aren't a lot of Black and brown people into the sport," Remy told BuzzFeed, as his club consists mostly of Black runners. "It just doesn't feel like a coincidence that the cheer zone that was policed is the cheer zone that was organized by Black and brown people."

"Thank you so much for sharing this. I ran Boston yesterday and let me tell you, that Pioneers/Trailblazehers cheer zone in the rain at mile 21 was the highlight of my whole race and absolutely powered me up that hill," a YouTuber user named Winston Vaughan commented. "It’s a treasure that should be cherished and celebrated, not over-policed. What happed [sic] yesterday was heartbreaking and I hope the B.A.A. and the City of Newton step up and take action."

When @diversewerun posted Reel's video, the user of the account claimed to see "groups of [not Black] inebriated college students who were throwing up onto the race course and running in and out of the course freely" just a half-mile up the course.

Runners arrive at the top of Heartbreak Hill during the 127th Boston Marathon.  (Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

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Over 30,000 people ran the race on Monday.