Newton Marathon Controversy Sparks Statement From Boston Athletic Association

NEWTON, MA – Boston Athletic Association president and CEO Jack Fleming has released a statement on Thursday saying the Association needs to do better, after Black marathon spectators said they were unfairly targeted by police at Mile 21 in Newton.

In the statement, Fleming wrote “we did not deliver on our promise to make it a great day for everyone.”

The incident occurred at mile 21, otherwise known as Heartbreak Hill, in Newton during the Boston Marathon. A YouTube video showed a line of police officers lined up with patrol bikes blocking a group of primarily Black spectators.

In the video, posted by Mike Remy, he asks police why they were lined up with their patrol bikes blocking the group of primarily Black spectators.

“Why are we surrounded by police?” Remy said in the video. “I don’t know what the presence is about.”

Newton Police released a statement saying they were notified by the B.A.A three times about spectators crossing the rope barrier and impeding runners before responding requesting that spectators stay behind the rope and not enter onto the course.

“When spectators continued to cross the rope,” Newton Police wrote in the statement, “NPD with additional officers calmly used bicycles for a short period to demarcate the course and keep both the runners and spectators safe.”

The incident sparked an outcry over social media, with Lawyers for Civil Rights writing a letter to Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller and Newton Police Chief John Carmichael on Wednesday asking for an investigation into Newton Police’s handling of the event.

“We need to do better to create an environment that is welcoming and supportive of the BIPOC communities at the marathon,” Fleming wrote in the statement.