A lawsuit has been filed by a Black-led running group over last year's Boston Marathon.
Lawyers on behalf of the group TrailblazHers Run Co. filed the federal lawsuit Thursday against the Boston Athletic Association — the race's organizer — and Newton police, claiming the group was racially profiled by police.
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"As the Boston Athletic Association ('BAA')…describes it, spectators 'play a powerful role in fostering a sense of belonging and community for participants, volunteers, staff, and fellow spectators,'" the complaint reads.
TrailblazHers, however, alleges that BAA "does not extend that same sense of belonging and community back to all spectators equally."
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Lawyers on behalf of the group said they "established a 'cheer zone'" at about mile 21 in Newton with food, music and confetti. More than 100 people showed up to the cheer zone, according to the lawsuit.
During the 2023 marathon, the TrailblazHers claim the BAA and officers "jointly and actively engaged" in subjecting them to hours of police barricades, surveillance and harassment, the lawsuit alleges.
At one point, officers allegedly formed a human barricade to block their view of the race and to "physically separate the running crews of color from the event."
"While white spectators viewed and enjoyed the event in peace, the people of color were racially profiled and discriminated against," the lawsuit reads.
NBC10 Boston reached out to the BAA and Newton police for comment but have yet to hear back.
However, at the time, police said they received multiple requests from BAA to keep spectators from jumping out in front of the runners.
