At the finish line

B.U. freshman Tim Wolfe got a front-row view of the Marathon's most dramatic finishes today, though not without cost. As a volunteer for Silver Wings, a civilian volunteer group associated with Air Force ROTCs, Wolfe woke up as early as most runners to help out with security around the race's Copley Square finish line.

Spectators often forget that Marathon participants are not the only ones exhausted from after the races many demands - thousands of volunteers also spend the whole day standing and performing repetitive tasks like handing out drinks or answering spectators' questions. Wolfe said spending more than eight hours on his feet proved a challenge despite its rewards.

"I never said I was tired until after I was done," he said.

At first, Wolfe said he found the finish line area surprisingly quiet even as wheelchair racers closed in on the area. Then the first wave of women's runners streamed in, followed by the men, and with them came a crush of rowdy onlookers.

As the Marathon's star harriers finished their 26.2-mile trek, Wolfe remembers being astonished as the top athletes "walked off nonchalantly" rather than collapsing at the finish line, still mustering the energy to walk off to awards ceremonies and press conferences nearby. On the whole, Wolfe said he had an ideal first marathon experience.

"The closer you can get to it, the better," he said.