The Boston Police Department vows the 2014 Boston Marathon will be a safe, family affair.
After last year's Boston Marathon bombings which left three dead and hundreds injured, this year's marathon will see heavy security - including the more than doubling of police officers and some 50 observation points around the finish line to monitor crowds.
The public is being asked to leave large items, such as backpacks, at home. They aren't restricted, but could be subject to search.
"We have plenty of undercover officers out there, but technology, you know, is going play a big part," Boston Police Commissioner William Evans told NBC News.
The commissioner added that he didn't think the beefed up security would make spectators uncomfortable, "It's going look like it did last year, but there's going be a lot more assets that people won't see."
