Editing Boston Marathon (section)

===Bandits===
Unlike many other races, the Boston Marathon tolerated "bandits" (runners who do not register and obtain a bib number).<ref name=wsj/>  They used to be held back until after all the registered runners had left the starting line, and then were released in an unofficial fourth wave. They were generally not pulled off the course and mostly allowed to cross the finish line.<ref name=wsj/> For decades, these unofficial runners were treated like local folk heroes, celebrated for their endurance and spunk for entering a contest with the world's most accomplished athletes.<ref>[https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/columns/2014/04/19/missing-from-this-years-marathon-those-lovable-bandits/XHb0yyIHECNtUBdxCCwqgO/story.html "Marathon bandits will be missed this year"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160513231733/https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/columns/2014/04/19/missing-from-this-years-marathon-those-lovable-bandits/XHb0yyIHECNtUBdxCCwqgO/story.html |date=May 13, 2016 }}, ''The Boston Globe''.</ref> Boston Marathon race director Dave McGillivray was once a teenage bandit.<ref>[http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2011/04/17/boston_marathon_race_director_puts_in_a_long_long_race_day/ "Running Last, But Not Least"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141225012036/http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2011/04/17/boston_marathon_race_director_puts_in_a_long_long_race_day/ |date=December 25, 2014 }},''The Boston Globe''.</ref>

Given the increased field that was expected for the 2014 Marathon, however, organizers planned "more than ever" to discourage bandits from running.<ref name=McGoldrick/>  As of September 2015 the B.A.A. website states:
<blockquote>Q: Can I run in the Boston Marathon as an unofficial or "bandit" runner?
A: No, please do NOT run if you have not been officially entered in the race. Race amenities along the course and at the finish, such as fluids, medical care, and traffic safety, are provided based on the number of expected official entrants. Any addition to this by way of unofficial participants, adversely affects our ability to ensure a safe race for everyone.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.baa.org/faq.aspx?keyword=Can%20I%20run%C2%A0in%20the%20Boston%20Marathon%20as%20an%20unofficial%20or%20%22bandit%22%20runner|title=Frequently Asked Questions|publisher=Boston Athletic Association|access-date=September 3, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923181303/http://www.baa.org/faq.aspx?keyword=Can%20I%20run%C2%A0in%20the%20Boston%20Marathon%20as%20an%20unofficial%20or%20%22bandit%22%20runner|archive-date=September 23, 2015|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref></blockquote>