Fall in: Pandemic-delayed 125th Boston Marathon returns

By JIMMY GOLEN
AP Sports Writer

BOSTON (AP) — With fall foliage replacing the spring daffodils and more masks than mylar blankets, the pandemic-delayed 125th Boston Marathon at last left Hopkinton for its long-awaited long run to Copley Square. A rolling start and shrunken field allowed for social distancing on the course, as organizers tried to manage amid a changing COVID-19 outbreak. Last year’s race was canceled for the first time since the event began in 1897. A light rain and temperatures in the mid-50s greeted participants at the Hopkinton Green starting line. Kenya’s Lawrence Cherono and Worknesh Degefa of Ethiopia did not return to defend their 2019 titles, but 13 past champions and five Tokyo Paralympic gold medal winners were in the professional fields.