BOSTON, Mass. - Before the race kicked off, leaders ensured the public that safety plans are in place throughout the Boston Marathon route.

Local, state and federal officers are working together. Things looked a little different for runners taking off in Hopkinton on Monday morning, including the absence of Athletes Village and vendors on the Boston Common. Police say it allows them to compress their resources into a smaller footprint and makes it easier for them to do safety sweeps. 

Special Agent in Charge of the Boston FBI Office, Joseph Bonavolonta, says there haven't been any specific or credible threats directed at this year's race, but asks everyone to serve as an extension of their eyes and ears and report something suspicious if they see something.

"I can tell you from personal experience that this does save lives, as far as the FBI Boston Division's posture. As in years past, we are going to have members of our Joint Terrorism Task Force integrated throughout all aspects of the marathon route," Special Agent Bonavolonta said. "We also have members of our highly trained specialized units such as our SWAT team, evidence response teams, crisis negotiation teams and special agent bomb technicians on standby to respond if needed." 

Special Agent Bonavolonta says they will be monitoring any potential threat information coming in and spreading it to their partners. There are contingency plans in place for any race disruptions.