Emerson College students joined massive crowds throughout Boston on Monday to cheer on over 30,000 runners and wheelchair cyclists during the 130th Boston Marathon.

This year’s race winners in the professional men’s and women’s categories may sound familiar; John Korir and Sharon Lokedi, both of Kenya, held onto their title wins from last year. Korir broke the Boston Marathon course record with his time of 2:01:52, also beating his previous winning time by almost three minutes. Lokedi won the women’s division with a time of 2:18:51, her course record time of 2:17:22 from 2025 still holding strong.

For the wheelchair cycling divisions, the Swiss Silver Bullet Marcel Hug of Switzerland secured his ninth Boston Marathon win with a time of 1:16:05. Eden Rainbow-Cooper of Great Britain won the women’s division with a time of 1:30:51, about five minutes longer than her first Boston win in 2024.

Two Emerson students who finished the marathon, both with their fathers, said Monday was much more than just one race.

“The amount of gratitude and joy I feel right now is overwhelming,” said Kaylin O’Meara, Emerson junior marketing communications major and dual-sport athlete who finished with a time of 4:08:45. “I ran the entire 26.2 with the biggest smile on my face because the energy along the entire race was electric.”

Playing as both a guard on the Emerson women’s basketball team and a midfielder for the women’s soccer team, running is a near constant in Kaylin’s life. But her love for it started long before her time at school from her father, Marc O’Meara.

Marc is a member of the Quarter Century Club, a group of runners who have finished at least 25 consecutive Boston Marathon races. It started with 16 members in 2001 and now hangs around 100 any given year. Kaylin grew up watching Marc run in Boston, staking out at mile 19 every year to cheer him on. The father-daughter duo still runs together when Kaylin is home on break from school — this year was her first time running in the marathon herself.

While they originally planned to start the race together, Marc tore his quad a few months ago and had to undergo surgery. It was uncertain whether this year would break his completion streak as Marc set out to walk the entire marathon. With the ticking cutoff time of 5:30 p.m., Marc started his race day early. Kaylin started more than an hour later and found her dad during the ninth mile.

“It was so special and emotional,” Kaylin said. “We had planned to do the entire thing together, but with everything that happened, I was so grateful to get even a little time together.”

Kaylin walked with her dad for about 10 minutes before pushing forward to finish her race.

“I eventually took off running again and got to see so many friends and family members along the way,” Kaylin said. “After finishing, we waited for another hour or two and [my dad] finished at 5:21 p.m. with nine minutes to spare.”

The pair celebrated their Boston finishes — Kaylin’s first marathon, Marc’s 30th year in a row — in Copley Square, surrounded by devoted supporters.

Emerson sophomore Christiano Iannacone also ran the race with his father, Steven Iannacone, finishing with a time of 3:37:05. Christiano echoed Kaylin’s sentiment of family and perseverance.

“This race was very emotional,” Christiano said. “My family was unfortunately at the finish line 13 years ago during the bombing, and that day transformed everything. Crossing it two days ago was so emotional and [brought me] tears of joy.”

Steven was at mile 25 of the Boston Marathon in 2013 when he was escorted off the course — two bombs had exploded near the finish line, close to where his family was waiting for him. They were not physically harmed, and Christiano says the day is a reminder of “resilience and determination.” Monday was a full circle moment for the Iannacones to finish the race together.

Christiano ran representing the Boston Children’s Hospital Patient Partner program, specifically a patient named Jace Perkins, whom he ran for in the Vienna Marathon three years ago. 

“The Boston Children’s team cheered me on and became another family to me,” Iannacone said. “Mainly halfway — the 13-mile spot — and the 24-mile mark near Comm Ave were the loudest as we had people waiting to see us. But everyone in the crowds, from the start line to the finish line, was yelling our names and saying ‘go Children’s.’”

His father, Steven, also runs for Boston Children’s Hospital, finishing his marathon this year with a time of 4:45:26. Along with the supporters from Boston Children’s for the Iannacone father-son pair, many of Christiano’s Emerson teammates and friends were along the race’s route, cheering on his first Boston Marathon run.

“My cross country team showed up, and I got to see my coaches and teammates,” Christiano said. “Then I caught up to my dad after the hills, which was just so memorable.”

Monday’s marathon was Steven’s 40th consecutive race running for Boston Children’s Hospital.

Kaylin ran for Cops for Kids with Cancer, raising $2,540 for the charity this year. 

“I am so grateful to have gotten the opportunity to raise money for a great cause and have such a special day with my dad and so many other friends and family,” Kaylin said. “My only goal was to have fun and soak it all in, and I’m really happy to say I did that.”

Beacon staff Marcia Cevallos and Madalyn Jimiera contributed to this report.