Mystery Boston Marathon Finish Line Shoveler Identified
BOSTON (CBS) – The mystery of who shoveled the Boston Marathon finish line has been solved.
In the midst of the Blizzard of 2015, a man on Boylston Street shoveled a strip of snow so only the Boston Marathon finish line was visible in the sea of white.
Social media users in Boston and beyond wanted to track down the person responsible for the simple gesture that has gone viral, and by Wednesday afternoon he was identified.
An employee at Back Bay Social Club told WBZ-TV that co-worker Chris Laudani was indeed the man who cleared off the finish line.
"The finish line is my favorite spot in the city," Laudani told WBZ-TV. "It's always there year-round. They repaint it every year leading up to the marathon and then they leave it there all year so people can see it. It's a really special place not just because of everything that happened in 2013, but the Boston Marathon is my favorite event, my favorite time of the year."
Boston Athletic Association executive director Tom Grilk issued a statement on Laudani's work:
"We saw profound acts of courage and kindness following the bombings which occurred in the City of Boston in April 2013 near the Boston Marathon finish line. Since that time, we have continually witnessed an outpouring of support for this great event and the City, demonstrating just how unique and special this race really is and all for which it stands. For someone to brave the winter blizzard to clear our finish line for us is yet another statement as to what our event means not only to runners but also to Americans. We, at the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.), are the organizers and are responsible for the management of the Boston Marathon, but an act like we see depicted here proves that – in Boston – everyone owns the Marathon."
Earlier in the day, Twitter user Philip Hillman posted a photo of the man taken from several stories up, while an Instagram user posted a photo from street level.
Laudani's gesture sparked curiosity on social media, with the hashtag being created called #whoshoveledthefinishline.
Even the Boston Police Department took notice of the movement, sharing photos of the man shoveling and asking residents to help solve the mystery.