The Wellesely crowd pulled out all the stops on a beautiful Boston Marathon race day to urge sweaty runners to keep going as they hit the course’s halfway point.

“Everyone’s doing just amazing,” said Miranda Hubbert, beaming with a picture of her mother — a first time runner — smiling on her t-shirt and standing just past the 13 mile line. “They’re all incredible, and its obviously a joy to support them. I mean, look at these people.”

All along Central Street and Washington Street, friends, families and race lovers showed up to show support for the marathoners and take part in a beautifully sunny, breezy day outside. Cowbells, pulsing music and an ongoing stream of cheers rang out through the afternoon as the over 29,000 runners streamed through the town.

“We’ve been here most years we’ve lived here,” said Jamie Beale, sitting in lawn chairs with his family. “Our house is just a couple blocks. It’s always a great day, but this year especially, I think it’s been lovely.”

People, as always, went hard with support for their friends and loved ones, with some families saving a matching t-shirt for a dog or two and others positively screaming out their support and reaching out hands as their runners went by.

Signs ran the gambit, from the cheeky “Should I just call you an Uber?”, to the Boston classic “The faster you run, the faster we can get to the bah,” to one of many Taylor Swift-themed messages “You are destroying this like T-Swift destroys exes.”

“Nothing motivates like Taylor Swift,” said Rachel Gaines, smiling broadly and holding a sheet of cardboard with images of her friend running the marathon and the singer in her Eras tour attire. “I wanted her to feel that energy.”

“It’s from TikTok, I guess,” said Julia Middlesworth, holding a large “Let Her Cook.” sign just passed mile 13. “As in, ‘Get out of the kitchen and let her cook.’ She goes hard. She’s absolutely speeding it.”

Like many loyal fans, Middlesworth and several others with her scrambled off after her friend ran by to see her again at a later point in the course, heading to Heartbreak Hill.

Related Articles

128th Boston Marathon: ‘A lot of perseverance out there’

Gallery: 128th Boston Marathon

Hellen Obiri defends her crown in the Boston Marathon women’s race

Ethiopian Sisay Lemma runs away to victory in the Boston Marathon

Red Sox waste Crawford’s Marathon Monday gem, O’Neill exits after collision

Others were in for the long haul, posting up with cornhole and picnic spreads on the edges of the course. Smells of pizza, grilled burgers and other foods alternated down the street.

“I’m mostly here for the ice cream,” said 9-year-old Caleb, hanging with his family and holding a cone near the town’s library. “But I’m also proud of my dad.”

Wellesley College students hold signs along the course in Wellesley. (Libby O’Neill/Boston Herald)
Wellesley College give “scream tunnel” its name as they cheer runners along the course of the Boston Marathon in Wellesley. (Libby O’Neill/Boston Herald)
Spain’s Miguel Ferrer Muro high fives Wellesley College students as he reaches the halfway point of the Boston Marathon in Wellesley. (Libby O’Neill/Boston Herald)
Runners reach the half way mark of the Boston Marathon on Central Street in Wellesley. (Libby O’Neill/Boston Herald)