Boston One Year Later: More than 3,000 strong on this week's SI cover

(Gregory Heisler for SI) The people of Boston made a strong showing— would you expect anything else?— when SI put out a casting call for a photo shoot last

(Gregory Heisler for SI)

The people of Boston made a strong showing— would you expect anything else?— when SI put out a casting call for a photo shoot last Saturday at the Boston Marathon finish line on Boylston Street, steps from where two bombs exploded on Patriots' Day last year. A crowd of 3,000, including runners who were near the blast, first responders and mayor Marty Walsh, arrived by 7 a.m. to celebrate the city's—and the race's—resilience in the face of the terror attacks.

VIDEO: Behind-the-scenes of the 'Boston Strong' cover shoot 

This week’s bonus feature from SI Senior Writer Scott Price, “Start at the Finish,” focuses on the marathon and examines the lives of more than 15 people who were affected by the bombing, all of whom bring a different perspective to the race. He writes, “The Boston Marathon can’t help but regenerate itself. It will always be new because there’s something about its history and civic fervor, its oddly attractive personal toll, even its most catastrophic moment, that makes converts of us all.”

Also part of this week’s Boston package is “The Point After,” written by David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox. His firsthand account explains how proud he is of the city and its citizens, and how incredible the recovery process has been in the last 12 months. Says Ortiz: “If I had to make a speech this year on Patriots’ Day, I’d say, ‘God continue to bless America.’ Because even though it began with so much pain and tragedy, the last 12 months have been a blessing.”

BISHOP: A year after the Marathon bombings, Bill Iffrig reflects on tragedy

Of the cover photo, SI’s Director of Photography Brad Smith said, “A year later, Boston has shown the strength to carry on. I’m proud that Sports Illustrated was able to contribute, in a small way, to that process with this cover. You can see in the faces of the people of Boston, how far they’ve come, together as a city.”

Bostonians can find themselves on the interactive cover photo below: