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In a broad show of support accompanied by hoots, hollers, high-fives, and for some, kisses, thousands of students and spectators thronged the barricades along the 129th Boston Marathon route as a part of the annual “Scream Tunnel” tradition at Wellesley College.
The decades-old tradition is often described as “the best day on campus” by students at the private women’s college, including by Wellesley College sophomore Julia Reste.
Reste, who MassLive captured in 2024 during her first “Scream Tunnel” as a freshman holding the sign “Kiss me, I’m from New Jersey,” was back along the race course for her second go at it.
Reste noted that even though her birthday was the day before, she looked forward to Marathon Monday even more.
This year, Reste had two signs one that read “Your innie is 50% done with ‘Boston,’” in reference to the popular TV series “Severance,” and a second sign read “Kiss me, I’m so Julia,” referring to singer Charli xcx’s hit song “360.”
Reste said she received 28 kisses from runners last year, but all of the kisses were on the cheek. She added she was looking to grab smooches from runners once again this year.
Sophomore Wellesley College student Julia Reste holding a sign reading "Your Innie Is 50% Done with 'Boston'" in reference to the TV series "Severance."Chris McLaughlin
Reste’s friend, fellow sophomore Erin Howard, when asked if she’d be pursuing kisses in 2025, answered, “Not quite.”
Coming into this year’s Scream Tunnel, she said she knew better what to prepare for, but that the event could still be “pretty chaotic.”
“I also have no sign this year,” Howard said. “So I’m just really trying to enjoy.”
The two friends, on a day off from classes, hoped to catch glimpses of two fellow Wellesley College students and the brother of another student who were running in the Marathon.
As different waves of racers and runners passed by the stretch of Central Street (Route 135) in front of the Wellesley College campus, more and more spectators gathered throughout the morning and early afternoon on the warm sunny day.
The campus sits at about the midway point on the Marathon 26.2-mile route from the town of Hopkinton to Boylston Street in Boston.
Sonorous cheers echoed throughout this stretch of the course as thousands of runners waved, blew kisses, gave high-fives, and sought to amp up the crowd in their pursuit of the finish line.
In the past, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Wellesley College officials discouraged students from physically kissing runners, but still in 2023, 2024, and now 2025, MassLive observed dozens of students and runners taking part, giving out and receiving kisses liberally.
Many students also waved hand-made signs, with some soliciting kisses from runners, some serving as morale boosters, others with clever wordplay and jokes.
(See a gallery of signs from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel below
A student holds a sign reading "Welcome to the SCREAM Tunnel," with ghostface from the "Scream" horror movie series.
Wellesley College student hold signs including "Trump Would've Taken a Golf Cart," "Kiss Me for a W," and "Unlike Democracy You Are Not Collapsing."
Sophomore Wellesley College student Julia Reste holding a sign reading "Your Innie Is 50% Done with 'Boston'" in reference to the TV series "Severance."
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
Two Wellesley College students hold signs reading "Run Bella Run! You're Impossibly Fast & Strong" in reference to the "Twilight" movie and book series, and a sign reading "Run to the Hills."
Students at Wellesley College hold sign such as "Kiss Me I'm a Cowgirl," and "One a Scale of 1-10, ur a 13.1"
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
A Wellesley College student holds a sign reading "Kiss me for a boost" in front of the 20 kilometer marker of the Boston Marathon.
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
Wellesley College students at the Scream Tunnel on Marathon Monday.
A Wellesley College student holds a sign reading "Slow Down I Can't Tell If You're Hot" at the Scream Tunnel.
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
A student holds a sign reading "It's Long & Hard, But You Can Take It!" at the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel.
Wellesley College student hold signs reading "You run fast than the T" and "You run better than the government."
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
Striking Wellesley College faculty also lined the barricades of the Boston Marathon route at the Scream Tunnel as they continued their 26th day of demonstrating.
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
Wellesley students hold a sign reading "Keep chafing ur dreams."
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
A spectator holds a sign reading "Is the bus still running? Cuz u should be." with pictures of drag queen Trixie Mattel from "RuPaul's Drag Race."
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
Strikers hold signs at Wellesley College as a faculty strike enters its 26th day.
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
A striking faculty member at Wellesley College holds a sign reading "Marathon Solidarity, 26 miles, 26 days of strike"
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
Wellesley College student line the barricades to the Marathon route supporting participants.
Wellesley College friends hold signs reading "Where the Hell Are You Running Loca", "Is That Gel in Your Pocket of Are You Happy To See Me?" and "We Know This is Long and Hard (That's What She Said)"
A Wellesley College student holds a sign reading "I'm not the type to run (but) I know that we're having fun."
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
However, a subset of the Scream Tunnel cheer squadron comprised striking members of non-tenured track (NTT) faculty WOAW-UAW union at Wellesley College, which has been on strike for 26 days as of Monday.
Leah Okumura, a senior instructor in science laboratories in the college’s biology department, said that the college was engaging in “unfair labor practices that have been hindering our progress at the bargaining table.”
Okumura said affected workers were expected to increase their teaching loads by 25% from four classes to five.
She added that to end the strike, the workers would like Wellesley College to “come back to the bargaining table and work with us in earnest to come to a fair contract agreement,” as well as a “modest increase in pay” to adjust for cost-of-living standards.
Members of the Wellesley College faculty on strike demonstrate while cheering on participants of the 129th Boston Marathon.Chris McLaughlin
In a statement, Wellesley College said that it has been “working in good faith” with the union to negotiate a contract that it is also “committed” to continuing to bargain in good faith with WOAW.
Wellesley College said on its website that it “recognizes the important role our NTT faculty play in strengthening our academic mission and is doing everything in its power to finalize a fair and competitive contract with the union that recognizes the needs of our entire community.”
Continue reading...
The decades-old tradition is often described as “the best day on campus” by students at the private women’s college, including by Wellesley College sophomore Julia Reste.
Reste, who MassLive captured in 2024 during her first “Scream Tunnel” as a freshman holding the sign “Kiss me, I’m from New Jersey,” was back along the race course for her second go at it.
Reste noted that even though her birthday was the day before, she looked forward to Marathon Monday even more.
This year, Reste had two signs one that read “Your innie is 50% done with ‘Boston,’” in reference to the popular TV series “Severance,” and a second sign read “Kiss me, I’m so Julia,” referring to singer Charli xcx’s hit song “360.”
Reste said she received 28 kisses from runners last year, but all of the kisses were on the cheek. She added she was looking to grab smooches from runners once again this year.
You must be registered for see images attach
Sophomore Wellesley College student Julia Reste holding a sign reading "Your Innie Is 50% Done with 'Boston'" in reference to the TV series "Severance."Chris McLaughlin
Reste’s friend, fellow sophomore Erin Howard, when asked if she’d be pursuing kisses in 2025, answered, “Not quite.”
Coming into this year’s Scream Tunnel, she said she knew better what to prepare for, but that the event could still be “pretty chaotic.”
“I also have no sign this year,” Howard said. “So I’m just really trying to enjoy.”
The two friends, on a day off from classes, hoped to catch glimpses of two fellow Wellesley College students and the brother of another student who were running in the Marathon.
As different waves of racers and runners passed by the stretch of Central Street (Route 135) in front of the Wellesley College campus, more and more spectators gathered throughout the morning and early afternoon on the warm sunny day.
The campus sits at about the midway point on the Marathon 26.2-mile route from the town of Hopkinton to Boylston Street in Boston.
Sonorous cheers echoed throughout this stretch of the course as thousands of runners waved, blew kisses, gave high-fives, and sought to amp up the crowd in their pursuit of the finish line.
In the past, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Wellesley College officials discouraged students from physically kissing runners, but still in 2023, 2024, and now 2025, MassLive observed dozens of students and runners taking part, giving out and receiving kisses liberally.
Many students also waved hand-made signs, with some soliciting kisses from runners, some serving as morale boosters, others with clever wordplay and jokes.
(See a gallery of signs from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel below
You must be registered for see images attach
A student holds a sign reading "Welcome to the SCREAM Tunnel," with ghostface from the "Scream" horror movie series.
You must be registered for see images attach
Wellesley College student hold signs including "Trump Would've Taken a Golf Cart," "Kiss Me for a W," and "Unlike Democracy You Are Not Collapsing."
You must be registered for see images attach
Sophomore Wellesley College student Julia Reste holding a sign reading "Your Innie Is 50% Done with 'Boston'" in reference to the TV series "Severance."
You must be registered for see images attach
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
You must be registered for see images attach
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
You must be registered for see images attach
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
You must be registered for see images attach
Two Wellesley College students hold signs reading "Run Bella Run! You're Impossibly Fast & Strong" in reference to the "Twilight" movie and book series, and a sign reading "Run to the Hills."
You must be registered for see images attach
Students at Wellesley College hold sign such as "Kiss Me I'm a Cowgirl," and "One a Scale of 1-10, ur a 13.1"
You must be registered for see images attach
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
You must be registered for see images attach
A Wellesley College student holds a sign reading "Kiss me for a boost" in front of the 20 kilometer marker of the Boston Marathon.
You must be registered for see images attach
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
You must be registered for see images attach
Wellesley College students at the Scream Tunnel on Marathon Monday.
You must be registered for see images attach
A Wellesley College student holds a sign reading "Slow Down I Can't Tell If You're Hot" at the Scream Tunnel.
You must be registered for see images attach
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
You must be registered for see images attach
A student holds a sign reading "It's Long & Hard, But You Can Take It!" at the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel.
You must be registered for see images attach
Wellesley College student hold signs reading "You run fast than the T" and "You run better than the government."
You must be registered for see images attach
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
You must be registered for see images attach
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
You must be registered for see images attach
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
You must be registered for see images attach
Striking Wellesley College faculty also lined the barricades of the Boston Marathon route at the Scream Tunnel as they continued their 26th day of demonstrating.
You must be registered for see images attach
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
You must be registered for see images attach
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
You must be registered for see images attach
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
You must be registered for see images attach
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
You must be registered for see images attach
Wellesley students hold a sign reading "Keep chafing ur dreams."
You must be registered for see images attach
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
You must be registered for see images attach
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
You must be registered for see images attach
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
You must be registered for see images attach
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
You must be registered for see images attach
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
You must be registered for see images attach
A spectator holds a sign reading "Is the bus still running? Cuz u should be." with pictures of drag queen Trixie Mattel from "RuPaul's Drag Race."
You must be registered for see images attach
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
You must be registered for see images attach
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
You must be registered for see images attach
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
You must be registered for see images attach
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
You must be registered for see images attach
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
You must be registered for see images attach
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
You must be registered for see images attach
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
You must be registered for see images attach
Strikers hold signs at Wellesley College as a faculty strike enters its 26th day.
You must be registered for see images attach
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
You must be registered for see images attach
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
You must be registered for see images attach
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
You must be registered for see images attach
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
You must be registered for see images attach
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
You must be registered for see images attach
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
You must be registered for see images attach
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
You must be registered for see images attach
A striking faculty member at Wellesley College holds a sign reading "Marathon Solidarity, 26 miles, 26 days of strike"
You must be registered for see images attach
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
You must be registered for see images attach
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
You must be registered for see images attach
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
You must be registered for see images attach
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
You must be registered for see images attach
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
You must be registered for see images attach
Wellesley College student line the barricades to the Marathon route supporting participants.
You must be registered for see images attach
Wellesley College friends hold signs reading "Where the Hell Are You Running Loca", "Is That Gel in Your Pocket of Are You Happy To See Me?" and "We Know This is Long and Hard (That's What She Said)"
You must be registered for see images attach
A Wellesley College student holds a sign reading "I'm not the type to run (but) I know that we're having fun."
You must be registered for see images attach
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
You must be registered for see images attach
Signs seen from the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel on Monday, April 21 as a part of the Boston Marathon.
However, a subset of the Scream Tunnel cheer squadron comprised striking members of non-tenured track (NTT) faculty WOAW-UAW union at Wellesley College, which has been on strike for 26 days as of Monday.
Leah Okumura, a senior instructor in science laboratories in the college’s biology department, said that the college was engaging in “unfair labor practices that have been hindering our progress at the bargaining table.”
- Read More: From motocross prodigy to Boston Marathon wheelchair, Jason Fowler races through adversity
Okumura said affected workers were expected to increase their teaching loads by 25% from four classes to five.
She added that to end the strike, the workers would like Wellesley College to “come back to the bargaining table and work with us in earnest to come to a fair contract agreement,” as well as a “modest increase in pay” to adjust for cost-of-living standards.
You must be registered for see images attach
Members of the Wellesley College faculty on strike demonstrate while cheering on participants of the 129th Boston Marathon.Chris McLaughlin
In a statement, Wellesley College said that it has been “working in good faith” with the union to negotiate a contract that it is also “committed” to continuing to bargain in good faith with WOAW.
Wellesley College said on its website that it “recognizes the important role our NTT faculty play in strengthening our academic mission and is doing everything in its power to finalize a fair and competitive contract with the union that recognizes the needs of our entire community.”
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