Alex Beired trained for the Boston Marathon, only to have to run it in his own backyard when he qualified. That’s the reality of the 124th Boston Marathon, which went virtual due to the coronavirus pandemic. Sept. 11, 2020: Michigan coronavirus (COVID-19) cases up to 110,832; Death toll now at 6,578Qualifying for the Boston Marathon is a big deal. “I’m still looking forward for that real, real marathon in Boston next year,” Beired said. “I’ll use the virtual race to to prove myself and see how fast I can do it.”