With the sun beaming and temperatures soaring into the low 70s, thousands of runners crossed the Boylston Street finish line, some falling to the ground in exhaustion and others rushing over to friends and family in excitement.

The large crowds that lined the roads in the eight cities and towns along the 26.2-mile trek from Hopkinton to Copley Square gave runners the push they needed to complete the hot, sweaty journey.

A total of 29,451 participants representing 129 countries and all 50 U.S. states – including 4,464 Massachusetts residents – competed in the 128th running of the Boston Marathon. Some ran professionally and competitively, others for personal achievement.

Amia Nash, 31, of San Francisco, sprinted over to a large horde of family and friends who traveled from the Bay Area to cheer her on as she fulfilled a goal she set a handful of years ago.

Nash told her father that she’d qualify for Boston before he died from Stage 4 cancer in November 2021. Just over a year later, she qualified for Boston when she raced in the California International Marathon in Sacramento in December 2022.

Bending over with her hands on her thighs, Nash said she’s contemplating calling it quits with marathons. She gave all she had, she said, with her father smiling from above.

“I did that,” Nash said. “He’s very proud of me. I felt him cheering me on when I was coming down that last two miles.”

“This was next level,” she added of the crowd support. “Having people every mile, all 26 miles, cheering kept me going because I hit the wall.”

This Patriots Day brought sunny skies, some slight wind and warm temperatures that climbed into the low 70s in the afternoon when a bulk of runners crossed the finish line – a much different scene from the rainy Marathon Monday last year that stayed in the 50s.

Cambridge resident Ryan Polli, 32, represented the Somerville Road Runners, rocking the club’s bright yellow singlet with black lettering. He said he surprised himself by besting his personal record by five minutes given the conditions.

“Especially on a day like this, I think it was really tough for all runners, but I think there was a lot of perseverance out there,” Polli said.

Taking advantage of every water station guided Travis Leadbetter, 26, of Tacoma, Wash., to the finish line. A three-time finisher of the Philadelphia Marathon, Leadbetter completed his first Boston and called it the “best race” because of the crowds along the entire route.

“I think I did a good job of keeping track of every time I could get water to take a ship and throw the rest on my head,” Leadbetter said. “It was a little bit warm, but I’d rather have it be sunny because it brings all the city out, all the fans out. It’s a lot more fun.”

Roughly 9,900 volunteers, including 1,600 medical volunteers, stayed busy the entire day, providing nutrition, hydration and first aid to the runners during a race that officials anticipated would reach a goal of $50 million raised through the marathon’s official charity program.

Olivia Heilbronn, 20, of the North End, shared hugs with friends after she crossed the finish line as she fundraised for Massachusetts General Hospital.

“I grew up spectating this so it’s great being on the other side of it,” she said.

The top three American women, Emma Bates, Des Linden and Sara Hall pose together after running the 128th Boston Marathon. (Matt Stone/Boston Herald)
Marquis Bowden screams out in pain as he is put onto a wheelchair after finishing the 128th Boston Marathon. (Matt Stone/Boston Herald)
Guy Jacques flies into the finish line during the 128th Boston Marathon. (Matt Stone/Boston Herald)
Liam Cawley screams out in pain after finishing the 128th Boston Marathon. (Matt Stone/Boston Herald)