As a BU student, I view the Boston Marathon aka Marathon Monday as more of a social event than a 26-mile road race. Apparently, I am not the only 22-year old with these sentiments:
photo credit: Facebook
photo credit: Twitter
Whenever I hear the word “social,” I first think of chatter in the online world and then its offline definition. Following this train of thought, I wondered if the Boston Athletic Association (BAA) worked to translate the marathon’s offline hype to an online conversation?
First, I checked out the race’s website. My social media-loving heart melted. I discovered an interactive site filled with real-time updates. The homepage featured:
- Live commentary via Twitter
- Current Leadership Board
- Wheelchair Race Leadership Board
- Athlete Tracking
- Link to Live Race Day Coverage
Additionally, BAA used Facebook and Twitter to engage with its audience.
With 9,598 followers, 36,632 fans, approximately 25,000 participants and 500,000 spectators, the Boston Marathon is definitely social online and off.
