- MILITARY SHADOW RUNS

Since 2005, thousands of United States armed forces personnel stationed overseas have participated in shadow versions of the Boston Marathon, running the marathon distance on or around Patriots’ Day. Whether they were in Iraq, in Afghanistan, or on a ship at sea, the B.A.A. has proudly provided race banners, bib numbers, medals, and finisher certificates to participants in these virtual shadow marathons

In 2019, two Boston Marathon Shadow Runs were held at Camp Resolute Support and Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. A total of 200 military members completed the race, led by top finishers Cpt. Spencer Johnson (2:53:55) and Maj. Elinor Kim (3:41:17) at Camp Resolute Support, and SPC Todd Evans (3:26:15) and SrA Cliantha Yasenchack (3:51:28) at Bagram Air Base.

- RACE IN SPACE

In 2007, astronaut Sunita Williams accomplished something no other person had ever done before: run the Boston Marathon while in orbit. A native of Needham, Mass.—a town just off the marathon race route—Williams was determined to complete the entire 26.2-mile race while strapped into a specially designed treadmill in the International Space Station

According to NASA, Williams circled the earth at least twice during her 2007 virtual run, flying at more than five miles per second inside the orbiting ISS. Williams served as a flight engineer on Expedition 14, and has finished the Boston Marathon three times (once in orbit, twice on land in 2008 and 2009).

“I would like to encourage kids to start making physical fitness part of their daily lives,” Williams said prior to her 2007 race in space. “I thought a big goal like a marathon would help get this message out there."