From the Milford Daily News - who knew my claim to fame would be posted under Chelsea Clinton's marathon photo?! See below! 

https://www.milforddailynews.com/picture-gallery/sports/2026/04/20/boston-marathon-2026-best-signs-costumes/89706486007/

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Best signs and costumes from Boston Marathon 2026

Updated April 20, 2026, 9:06 p.m. ET

A Blessing for Joy

Licensable picture: Boston Marathon | Reuters Connect

Words from Kate Bowler's podcast: 

This is the pearl of wisdom I gleaned after thinking about and researching joy for so long in my new book, Joyful Anyway. Theologian Karl Barth once said it like this, joy is both a gift and a task. It’s something that mysteriously pops up out of nowhere. When we least expect it, like grace. And it’s something we have to put ourselves in the way of because we can’t always be happy, but we can be joyful anyway. 

So my dears, here is a blessing for you.

May you have permission to be odd in a world that prefers the shiny and put together. 

May you find one friend who understands your particular blend of weirdness. 

And when the news feels unbearable, 

may silliness and delight fill you like oxygen to your lungs. 

And when you get confused, 

may you remember, 

play is not frivolous, 

it is how some of us survive.

Best Dressed in Boston Marathon!! - - Article from WBUR (Boston's NPR)

 Boston's Morning Newsletter

Our 2026 Boston Marathon superlatives, from best costumes to biggest winner

You'll need to keep the remote closeby for tonight's simultaneous Celtics and Bruins playoff games. But first, let's hit rewind on yesterday's Boston Marathon with a look at the official (and unofficial) winners:

Biggest winner: John Korir made it look easy ("it" being running 26.2 miles at a 4:39 mile pace). The 29-year-old Kenyan breezed across the finish line with a time of 2:01:52, defending his 2025 win here in Boston and breaking the course record by a staggering 70 seconds. No one else had run Boston under 2 hours and 3 minutes before — not to mention 2 hours and 2 minutes. Korir gets an extra $50,000 for setting a course record, in addition to his $150,000 first-place prize money.

• How it happened: Korir took the lead in Newton, and it wasn't long before you could barely see his competitors in the background. "I had no problems, from the start to the finish," Korir said after the race. (Apparently, it helps when you don't fall at the starting line.)
• Korir wasn't the only familiar name to cross the finish line first. Click here to read more about all the top finishers.

Biggest loser: It was a bad day to be a record. The cool temps and helpful tailwind from the west made for fast running weather. Not only did Korir break Geoffrey Mutai's 15-year-old Boston record of 2:03:02, but so did the second- and third-place finishers, Alphonce Felix Simbu and Benson Kipruto, respectively. Sorry, Geoffrey!

• Meanwhile, Zouhair Talbi and Jess McClain — both of whom finished fifth in their respective divisions — set new Boston records for American men and women. If Boston counted for official world records, Talbi's 02:03:45 time would stand as the fastest marathon time run by an American man on any course.

Cutest pick-me-up: On the women's side, Sharon Lokedi also repeated as champion. After staying with the lead group for the majority of the race, Lokedi turned it on in Newton and left the rest of the pack in the dust with several sub-5-minute miles. After the race, a smiling Lokedi credited one particular fan for giving her a boost. "There was a little girl somewhere who said 'You got this, ladies!' And it was so cute," Lokedi said. "And I was like that was what I needed. It gave me so much to look forward to."

Biggest surprise celebrity appearance: We knew Chelsea Clinton was running. What we didn't know was that her parents — yes, Bill and Hillary — would be at the finish line to greet her. (Fun fact: Chelsea Clinton ran under the pseudonym Margaret Smith, a seeming reference to the trailblazing congresswoman and senator from Maine.)

Best dressed: Seattle resident Emily Huff, who dressed as Joy from the movie "Inside Out." Huff told WBUR's Martha Bebinger that she sent a letter of gratitude to someone every week for 26 weeks leading up to the marathon.

• Runners up: Yoel Levy, who told Martha he has run marathons in his Batman costume in eight different countries; an inspiring suit; and the five (!) Alexi Lalas lookalikes.

Most likely to make the most of a bad break: Natalie Goolik, a 10-time Boston Marathon runner from Philadelphia, tore her ACL about 20 weeks ago. Knowing she wouldn't run her best time, she told Martha she decided to wear a tutu this year to at least run in style.

Longest stride (literally, and maybe figuratively): Zdeno Chara. The 6-foot-9 former Bruin knocked 12 minutes off his previous Boston Marathon best.

Best mid-race snack: These pickles in Brookline.

Most questionable footwear decision: The man who ran barefoot.

• Runner up: These Red Sox fans.

Check out our team's full Marathon Monday recap and photos.

Our 2026 Boston Marathon superlatives, from best costumes to biggest winner | WBUR News

Boston Marathon recap: Here's how the 130th race unfolded- Article from WBUR (Boston's NPR)

Boston Marathon recap: Here's how the 130th race unfolded

• Amy Gorel

Updated April 20, 2026

More than 30,000 athletes made the historic trek from Hopkinton to Boston on a chilly Marathon Monday.

Familiar names took all of the top awards: Wheelchair racer Marcel Hug won his ninth Boston title and wheelchair racer Eden Rainbow-Cooper, runner John Korir and runner Sharon Lodeki all claimed their second Boston victory. Korir also set a course record.

Spectators were out in full force along the 26.2 miles of the course, cheering on friends, family members and strangers.

Here's a look at how the day unfolded:

4:30 p.m.

The finish line

The vast majority of the runners have passed the finish line on Boylston Street in Boston. The race course officially closes at 5:30 p.m.

There were "no major incidents," according to the Massachusetts Department of Health. There were 18 EMS transports so far, fewer than this time last year.

Race co-medical director Dr. Kristin Whitney said that with chilly temperatures today, there's been some incidents of hypothermia the medical teams have treated. But there's also been a few people who needed ice baths to cool down from dangerously high body temperatures.

"When we are running and it's colder conditions, our muscles can cramp up, so mild cramping has been a trend," Whitney said. Otherwise, it's "really mixed bag, a typical mix of what we'd expect here on race day."

Miki Jameson and her mother Charmaine Jameson in tutus at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. (Martha Bebinger/WBUR)

Once the elite runners had all passed, more participants made it to the finish line in colorful costumes.

Miki Jameson, from Chicago, and her mother Charmaine Jameson, from Virginia, have run 54 marathons together. This is their second one in a costume.

They ran in New York as cows. They weren’t trying for a personal best so they’ve decided to just have fun.

Emily Huff, from Seattle, set an intention for her run in Boston this year to be about joy.

She wrote a letter of gratitude to someone in her life who brings her joy every week for 26 weeks — people like her mother, neighbors and former teachers. And for race day, she dressed up like the character Joy from "Inside Out."

"Life's too short to not be a little silly and whimsical, and also to have some depth to it and let people know how wonderful they are," she said.

This is her third time running the Boston Marathon. Her first was in 2013; she crossed the finish line about 20 minutes before the bombs went off.

After finishing the race today, she said she was grateful to get to this point. She said it's important to "recognize that joy is a gift that people gave along the course, but it's also a practice and such a gift that we get to embody joy and gratitude on a day like today."

Emily Huff, from Seattle, dressed as the character Joy from "Inside Out" after crossing the Boston Marathon finish line. (Martha Bebinger/WBUR)— With reporting by WBUR's Martha Bebinger

Boston Marathon recap: Here's how the 130th race unfolded | WBUR News

Post Race Reflection

For the past 26 weeks, I’ve been practicing joy—one letter, one person, one memory at a time. I decided that this Boston Marathon would be a pilgrimage of gratitude, a way of honoring the people who have sparked joy in my life. So I wrote lots of letters for the past 26 weeks to the people who make me think of Snoopy doing a happy dance or Joy from Inside Out leaping with her arms outstretched.

What I learned is this: Joy grows when you name it. Gratitude deepens when you practice it and embody it. And love becomes visible when you trace the threads of your life back to the people who wove them.

Running Boston dressed as Joy wasn’t just a costume choice. It was the outward expression of an inward journey—one that taught me that joy is not the absence of hard stuff in our lives but the presence of connection and love.

Every mile of the race felt like a prayer stitched together from the people who have shaped me. I carried your names, your stories, your laughter, your wisdom, your presence. You were with me in the crowds, in the cheers, in the hills, in the rough miles when I needed strength. Thank you for being part of the joy that carried me to the finish line. Thank you for being the reason I could run with a full heart. Thank you for being the gift.

Boston 2026 will always be the marathon of joy—because of you.

 

From Kate Bowler’s book Joyful Anyway

Boston Marathon Monday 2026

 

A Pep Talk for Race Morning

You’ve spent six months practicing joy like it’s a muscle, a discipline, a calling. You’ve written letters that turned your training into a pilgrimage of gratitude. And now you get to step into Boston dressed as Joy herself—blue hair, bright spirit, heart wide open.

Today isn’t about splits or perfection. It’s about presence. It’s about delight. 

You get to be the runner who smiles at strangers, who high‑fives kids, who lifts the energy of the course just by showing up in color and courage. You get to be the embodiment of the thing you’ve been naming in others for months.

When the miles get hard, remember: you’ve already done the deeper work. You’ve trained your heart to notice. You’ve trained your spirit to choose joy. You’ve trained your body to keep going.

So run light. Run grateful. Run with your people in your pocket. Run with the happy dance in your mind. Run as Joy.

And let Boston see the glow you’ve been cultivating all along.

I have to give credit where credit is due: Copilot helped me generate some of the ideas for the blessings and reflections I carried into race day. After I uploaded a few of the letters I’d written, some of my training reflections, and the intention letter I drafted back in October, it offered to help me shape a blessing for the starting line, a short prayer for the Newton hills, a “why I’m running” sentence for my pocket, and even a Joy‑themed pep talk for race morning. I took those seeds, tweaked them, and made them my own for the day. 💙💛💙

from Kate Bowler's book Joyful Anyway 

three generations at Hopkinton 

mother daughter pre-race joy! 

Anna read this to me before the start... 

💙💛💙💛💙

A Blessing for the Starting Line

May this beginning be spacious. May your breath settle, your shoulders drop, your heart open. May you remember the faces and stories you’ve carried for months— the ones who taught you joy, the ones who held you steady, the ones who made you braver. May their love be the ground beneath your feet. May delight rise in you like a tide. And as you cross the line into motion, may you feel the quiet truth humming through you: You are not running alone. You are running beloved. You are running free. You are running in joy. 

Let's go! 

midway at Wellesley College

mile 17 

A Short Prayer for the Newton Hills

God of strength and steady breath, meet me in these miles where the road tilts upward. When my legs grow heavy, give me the grace to take the next small step. When doubt enters the game, remind me of the joy that carried me here. Let every hill become a place of presence— You with me, my people with me, my own spirit rising again. Teach me to choose joy, anyway, even here, especially here. Amen.

The first 13 miles of the Boston Marathon felt effortless—like I was floating on cloud nine and everything just clicked. Then the charley horses showed up uninvited and decided to stick with me for the rest of the run. With every mile, they got stronger and harder to ignore, and it took everything I had to keep pushing forward. Digging deep, I managed to get to the corner of Hereford and Boylston (just about 1/4 mile to the finish line). At that point, I got the worst charley horse of all, and it stopped me in my tracks. Two runners stopped to check on me, helped me steady myself, and got me moving again.

Thanks to them (and every ounce of grit I had left), I found my stride again and pushed through to the finish. That’s the magic of Boston spirit, and I'm so very grateful for the gift of this day. 

Pure Joy!! 

A Benediction for the Finish Line

May this finish be a soft landing. May the breath you draw remind you that you are held. May the ache in your legs testify to courage, and the glitter still on your face bear witness to joy lived out loud. May you feel the nearness of every person who carried you here— the ones you named, the ones you remembered, the ones who shaped your stride. May gratitude rise in you like a blessing. And as you wrap yourself in the foil blanket and step into whatever comes next, may you know this deep truth: You ran with joy. You ran with love. You ran your prayer all the way home.

it really does not get much better than this.... 💙💛💙💛💙

JOY MANIFESTO — Boston 2026

I run because joy is a gift and a discipline. I run because gratitude deserves a body. I run because the people who have loved me into being deserve to be carried mile by mile.

I run dressed as Joy because play is holy, because silliness is needed, because joy is resistance, because the world is heavy— and still, there is light everywhere.

I run to notice. I run to bless. I run to remember that joy is not the absence of pain but the presence of love.

I run with a happy dance in my mind, with a cloud of witnesses in my pocket, with the God who meets me in every ordinary moment.

Today, I choose joy— not as a mood, but as a way of being. Not as a feeling, but as a form of gratitude. Not as a costume with a dumb blue wig, but as my truest self. 

Run light. Run grateful. Run awake. Run attentive. Run as joy.