marcel altenburg

Boston Marathon Turns to Crowd Science Expert to Manage Record Field of 32,000+ Runners

Boston Marathon organizers have enlisted crowd science expert Marcel Altenburg from Manchester Metropolitan University to help manage this year's field of more than 32,000 runners traversing the 26.2-mile route through eight Massachusetts cities and towns. The world's oldest annual marathon, which began with 15 runners in 1897 and peaked at 38,000 in 1996, now settles around 30,000 participants since 2015. Altenburg emphasized preserving the race's traditional character while applying scientific crowd management principles.