Boston Marathon

David Ortiz on families affected by 2013 Boston Marathon bombings: ‘We got their back’

The former Red Sox slugger is the grand marshal of the 2023 marathon.

By Christopher Gavin

April 17, 2023

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After tragedy fell on Boston in 2013, David Ortiz offered his now iconic message of strength at the first home game following the bombings at Fenway Park.

On Monday, Ortiz made clear that the 2013 World Series championship team’s support for the city has not faltered in the years since.

On Sunday, the 2013 Red Sox reunited on the field before the Sox took on the Los Angeles Angels — a reunion he reflected on Monday morning, not far from the 2023 Boston Marathon starting line in Hopkinton.

“It made me feel great, just, you know, [to] reunite with them boys. If there’s something that I miss about baseball, it’s just being with them boys out there,” Ortiz told WCVB.

“Going back in time, 10 years ago, when everything went down here in Boston, it brings a lot of memories,” he added. “Last night, we went for dinner and we were all talking about that and how fast the time moves on, and to all those families out there that were affected by this disaster 10 years ago, we want to spread the message and let them know that we got their back.”

Ortiz, 47, is the grand marshal of this year’s marathon, a position he called “a great honor,” even if he was left bewildered by the selection.

“When they broke the news for me to be a grand marshal, I was like, ‘Why me?'” he joked Monday.

As part of his honorary position, Ortiz will be driven ahead of the pack of nearly 30,000 runners to reach Boston just before the top professional runners arrive.

“I’m not in a marathon shape right now,” Ortiz said on WCVB. “But I’m gonna be in a car. That’s a good thing.”

On Saturday, Ortiz also received the Patriots’ Award from the Boston Athletic Association. The award is given to a “a New England-based individual, group, or organization that is patriotic, philanthropic, and inspirational, and fosters goodwill and sportsmanship,” according to the BAA.

“Boston embraced me, and I love this city. I love this town,” Ortiz said Monday. “I had never seen a town reunite and bounce back the way we did here, and that is something that is always going to keep in my heart.”