Boston spirit

Boston is less than 50 days away!

BOSTON MARATHON STREET BANNERS JUST GOT PERSONAL

This year you can create your own street banner to celebrate your journey to the race. Keep the banner for yourself, or share with others for a chance to be featured on a Boylston Street banner.

Each spring John Hancock hangs hundreds of Boston Marathon street banners throughout the city to showcase excitement for the race. Images include elite athletes, spectators, qualified and non-profit runners and race officials. On March 18, defending Boston Marathon champion Caroline Rotich will hang the first banner at the finish line with city officials.

And this year for the first time, John Hancock is providing everyone with the chance to appear on one of 26 banners that will hang on Boylston Street, leading up to the iconic finish line. 

Visit JHExtramile.com/runbold to create a personalized image of yourself on a digital banner featuring one of the following words: gratitude, passion, pride, dedication, inspired, drive, psyched, believe, heart, strength, glory and spirit. You can save the banner image for yourself, or if you want to be considered for one of the street banners, post your digital banner on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook using the hashtag #RunBold by March 21.

Among the entries, 26 will be made into street banners that will line the final stretch of the race on Patriots' Day. All of the entries will be featured in a digital collage on JHExtramile.com.

"The Boston Marathon is an iconic race that means so much to so many people in so many different ways," said Rob Friedman, head of John Hancock Sponsorship and Event Marketing. "We think this effort will generate many creative entries, and also provide several lucky members of the marathon community with an opportunity of a lifetime."

Here's what I submitted today. 

I doubt I'll win, but this is one of my favorite race pictures! 

and this one sure holds some bittersweet memories...