A man dressed as Adolf Hitler stood along the Boston Marathon route on April 20, raising his arm in a Nazi salute while shouting “happy 4/20″—a reference both to the race date and Hitler’s birthday-and trampling on an Israeli flag. The display, captured on video by a marathon runner, has triggered swift denunciations from city officials and Jewish organizations.

The Boston Athletic Association said the incident had “no place” at an event meant to unite “athletes, volunteers, spectators, and community members from around the world.” The Anti-Defamation League New England went further, alleging that the man had specifically targeted runners he perceived to be Jewish or Israeli with his salutes.

“This vile display of antisemitism has no place at the marathon or anywhere in our communities,” the ADL said in a statement Friday.

Israeli Consul to New England Benjamin Sharoni called the conduct “disgusting and beyond the pale.” In a post on X, he characterized it bluntly: “This is open Jew-hatred, plain and simple.”

The incident underscores a broader pattern of antisemitic harassment at public events, particularly those where Jewish or Israeli participants are visibly present. The timing—the coincidence of the marathon date with Hitler’s birthday—suggests the perpetrator deliberately chose the occasion for maximum provocation.

Neither Boston police nor the BAA have announced arrests or identified the man.

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