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500 Boston Marathon Banners Going Up Around The City

BOSTON (CBS) - It's a sign spring has arrived in Boston.

The banners promoting the 2019 Boston Marathon are going up around the city.

boston marathon banner
Des Linden and Bill Rodgers celebrated the raising of the 2019 Boston Marathon banner on Boylston Street Wednesday. (WBZ-TV)

Defending women's champion Des Linden joined four-time champ Bill Rodgers and Mayor Marty Walsh Wednesday morning near the finish line on Boylston Street to hang the first of 500 banners to be displayed by race sponsor John Hancock.

For the first time, this year's race will fall on the anniversary of the 2013 marathon bombings, which has become known as One Boston Day. The mayor is asking everyone to turn it into a day of kindness.

"It will be a citywide day of service. I'm asking everyone to do something good for your community or on the weekend leading up to it, be kind to somebody. Let's remember what happened that day and take that horrible incident and turn it into something positive for someone else today," Walsh told reporters Wednesday.

The Boston Marathon is just 26 days away.

WBZ-TV is the exclusive local broadcaster of the Boston Marathon. Pre-race coverage begins at 7 a.m. on Monday, April 15, followed by race coverage at 9 a.m.

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