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New security rules issued for 2014 Boston Marathon participants

BOSTON, Feb. 27 (UPI) -- People who like wearing costumes while running won't be able to in this year's Boston Marathon, security rules issued by the Boston Athletic Association said.

People also won't be allowed to wear bulky clothing or anything that hides their face, and a laundry list of items -- including strollers and backpacks -- won't be allowed at Athletes' Village near the starting line in Hopkinton or around the finish line, the Boston Globe reported Wednesday.

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The Boston Athletic Association, which organizes the race, emailed the new rules and restrictions Wednesday.

During last year's Boston Marathon, two bombs went off near the finish line, killing three people and wounded more than 260 others. One suspect in the bombings, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, is dead while his younger brother, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, is awaiting a federal trial.

Runners also will be barred from bringing bags with clothing or other personal items on buses that ferry them from Boston Common to Hopkinton, where the race starts, organizers said.

Also forbidden are props such as sports and military equipment and flags or signs wider than 11 inches and longer than 17 inches, the Globe said.

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The new restrictions aren't good for so-called bandits, unauthorized runners who slip into the race every year, the Globe reported. The new rules said that bandits this year would be "subject to interdiction."

"We are aware that many people want to participate in some way in this year's Boston Marathon as a display of support, but we ask that those who are not official participants to refrain from entering the course for the safety of the runners and themselves," the email read.

Other groups that also joined the race in previous years won't be allowed to participate this year, the email said.

"For the 2014 Boston Marathon, with an increased field size and for everyone's safety, we will work with public safety officials to ensure that we preserve the exceptional race day experience that makes the Boston Marathon an icon in the world of sport while making race day safe and enjoyable for all," the email said.

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