Sox come first

Victoria Skiffington, 16, of North Reading, Mass., said she has never seen the Boston Marathon before, and this year is no exception. Though Skiffington and her friend Nick are only a block away from the marathon route, they chose instead to see the Red Sox play the Rangers. With the game winding down (Boston was up 8-2 in the bottom of the 8th), both are going back home before class starts tomorrow. Skiffington said she does not think she is missing much by going to the game.

"Not really," she said. "I mean, I choose the Sox over everything."

This year, the traditional Patriots' Day game at Fenway Park had a different impact on the race because the marathon began a few hours earlier than the usual start time around noon. Because of this, most game attendees began leaving Fenway while the middle and late finishers in the Marathon passed through Kenmore Square. Though the entire marathon route is more crowded than it was as the men's and women's leaders passed, so far the crowd is manageable and sidewalks still have a little space.