Скачать или смотреть Here’s What Goes Into Making the Wellesley College ‘Scream Tunnel’

Along with their famous “kiss me” posters, the students make more than 650 requested signs each year for marathoners.
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Wellesley College is at mile 12.5 of the Boston Marathon.

The section is known as “the scream tunnel.”

KATE
“We love it when people talk about how it’s their favorite part of the course because it’s a lot of fun for us. I assume that running a marathon is very hard, so to know that we helped them propel a little bit forward on the marathon path is awesome.”

Students have cheered on marathon runners since 1897.

They call the event “MarMon” (Marathon Monday).

KATE
For me, I feel a connection to all the students who have come before me. They’ve all stood out there on the marathon line for every year for as long as the Boston Marathon’s been going by Wellesley.

The women hang motivational posters in front of the school.

They made over 650 signs for the 2019 race.

KATE
We were supposed to cap it at 450 but 650 it is.

Hundreds of students will make at least one sign.

They work two hours a night for two straight weeks.

CAROLINA
We started right when we got back from spring break and then have been going for the whole two weeks up until MarMon.


Residents of Munger Hall organize the prep.

KATE
We’ve been doing this for years now, so we’ve accumulated supplies over that time. Some of them have gone dry, don’t work anymore, et cetera.

They go through 8 rolls of paper.

CUT CUT CUT

They use over 200 paint markers.

Let’s hope our greens work.

Blue and yellow are the most popular colors.

KATE
We got this year six new boxes of paint markers. Those will probably be close to dying by the time we are done. We were hoping to reuse them again next year.

They have been taking online requests since 2011.

KATE
About a month out, we put a Google form up on our Facebook page. Then we go through one by one, mark off each sign as it’s being completed to make sure we don’t miss any.

CAROLINA
All of the ones that are about like about running for someone you love are really cute, whether it’s for family or there are some that have been like, ‘your fiancé is waiting for you.’

KATE
We get things that are much more elaborate. I was struggling to draw a shamrock because somebody requested a green sign with shamrocks on it.

CAROLINA
That’s a bear. She did this beautiful shading and we’re just out here doing bubble letters.

KATE
Some people just want very simple phrases. I did a “Go Momo” earlier. I don’t know who Momo is but someone is cheering for her.

KATE
There’s one woman named Nuria, she has 15 signs at least made for her. I’m like, oh yeah, I know that she’s going to be going by on marathon day, maybe I’ll see her. Won’t know what her bib number is, won’t know who she is, but we’re cheering her on.

As for the other Wellesley tradition?

CAROLINA
I think people prep with like lipstick sometimes or make sure to brush your teeth in the morning.