Running a
marathon is always special (at least for the runner) and running the Boston
Marathon, the oldest and most elite marathon, is even more so. Last year however it turned from euphoria to
disaster in just a few minutes altering the lives of hundreds caught up in the
bombing.
I was one of
the lucky ones, finishing just ahead of the explosions but many of the runners
I know were not so lucky. A number of them
have family members who were injured in the blast and many more were not able
to finish, getting stuck out on the course when they shut down the race.
For those
runners, coming back to run the race this year was not a question at all. Every runner I spoke with emphatically
planned to return and finish what they started, not just for themselves but in
memory and support of all the people who were injured or killed. They were not alone. Runners from around the world went online to
voice their support of Boston and pledge to be there this year. The message was clear, we won’t let a few attention
seeking, maniacal, weak minded, hate mongering, idiots(I may have gotten a
little carried away here…or not) intimate us into being afraid. And it didn’t stop there. I predict there will be more spectators on
the course this year than in the history of the race.
At this
point you might think “There can’t be that many crazy people out there who not
only want to run a marathon but will work there butt’s off to try to qualify.” It’s a testament to the human race that
diversity has spawn enough of us to more than fill the rosters at Boston. In fact, the BAA expanded the field for just
this year from 27,000 to 36,000 to accommodate the increased interest in
participating. To give the fastest
runners first shot at entry they stagger the registration based on how many
minutes you are under your qualifying time (20 minutes under first, then 10
minutes under, then 5 minutes under). Despite
the increase, all but 5000 of the slots were filled by runners who were at
least 5 minutes under their qualifying time, and thousands of runners who
qualified and sent in applications were not able to get in.
So another
year but not just another marathon for me.
This one will be special for all kinds of reasons, not the least of
which I will be running for Help in the Nick of Time to raise funds for
families impacted by the bombing. I can’t
think of a better way to help others, honor those we have lost and offer a
middle finger to those that would try to take away our freedoms.
