What was suppose to be the biggest day in endurance running, turned into a day that no runner will ever forget. The Boston Marathon is a the holy grail of marathons, think of it as the World Series for baseball, or the Super Bowl for football. This isn’t any race. You have to earn your place in the field of 25,000 runners. You have to train hard, and qualify to even apply to run this race. This race is now in it’s 117th year. It is the oldest marathon on the planet. What started as a day of excitement and positivity, sadly turned into a day of tragedy. Two bombs were detonated at the race today, one near the finish line and another two blocks away. At least two people were killed and many others were wounded.
I was in such a state of shock and disbelief I actually had to go home from work today. I have friends that were in Boston today, running and spectating. I have dreams of running this historic course! And for some people, that dream was cut short.
As endurance athletes, we all share many things in common but this one is for certain. We have endurance, tenacity, the drive and will to succeed. When things get bad or we feel we can’t go on, we keep moving! We all came together via social media and comforted one another. We checked on our friends! We offered support however we could. That is what this sport is about! We may compete with one another, but even though I may not ‘know’ you, YOU are my family. You are a a runner and I respect you. I respect your struggle, your training, your tears, your accomplishments! And today, members of our running family were attacked and had their dreams stripped from them.
Do not run scared. Do not be afraid. Stand up in the face of this tragedy and say with confidence that you are a runner. That is YOUR finish line, and no one will keep you from it!
To my friends that were in Boston today, I salute you. You are brave. You are strong. You are a runner. Be proud. We will recover from this and we will be stronger than ever!
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