BOSTON — The finish line of the Boston Marathon is one of the most iconic places in all of sports. For the past 124 years, runners from around the globe have crossed it to complete one of the most challenging road races in history.
And for the past 21 years, Lynn’s own Accurate Graphics, Inc. has been installing the actual finish line on Boylston Street in Boston.
“It’s just an awesome opportunity and we’re blessed to have been able to do it all these years,” said Peppi Bolognese, the owner of Accurate Graphics who was on hand to install the finish line Friday. “People come from all over the world just to see the finish line, let alone all the people who run across it each year. It’s a true icon, and we’re very lucky to be able to do the job.”
The Marathon project really fell into the hands of Bolognese and Accurate Graphics early in the company’s history. Back in 2000, Accurate Graphics was doing work for one of the vendors at the Boston Marathon, and that vendor also owned the rights to print up the finish line each year and was looking for a company to do the installation. When Bolognese’s phone rang, he didn’t hesitate.
In the 20 years that Accurate Graphics has installed the finish line, Bolognese and his team have seen plenty. He specifically remembers returning to the finish line in 2013 after the Boston Marathon Bombings, a memory he says is seared into his mind forever.
“It’s something you never forget, driving the wrong way up Boylston and seeing all of the destruction and the blood on the ground,” said Bolognese. “We usually come to remove the finish line the day after the race, but since it was an active crime scene we had to wait a whole week before we took it away.”
But he also remembers coming back the following year, and how many people came out to celebrate the “Boston Strong” mentality.
“That was a special year for sure,” said Bolognese. “After everything that happened, to see so many people come together just one year later really made it even more special for me.”
And so it was a strange feeling in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the physical race. It was the first time in 20 years that Bolognese and his team weren’t on Boylston Street in mid-April.
“It was definitely strange to not have it, but it was the right thing to do with the pandemic going on,” said Bolognese. “Since it’s something we do every year, we all usually get pretty geared up for it a few weeks ahead of time. So for it to get canceled when the pandemic hit, that was a tough one.”
So while the race isn’t being run in its normal Patriots Day time slot this year, it’s still exciting to return to Boston and install the finish line for an actual race once again, he said.
“People are already excited; there were tons of people here today taking pictures of the installation and taking pictures of the finished product,” said Bolognese on Friday. “The feeling around this race is unlike anything else, and I’m glad we’re all able to come back and have it in person again.”
There are plenty of storylines to watch for in this year’s Boston Marathon, which will be run Monday. One of the biggest is the story of Marblehead native Shalane Flanagan, who will be running the race just one day after running in the Chicago Marathon.
