(Editor’s note: Long distance runners are special breed, marathoners even more so, therefor with the terrible events in Boston we asked local marathoner Kim Reamer for her thoughts on the tragedy)
As a marathon runner myself I was horrified to see the events of the Boston Marathon unfold Monday afternoon. As an American, I am saddened once again by yet another terrible tragedy that shakes our belief in our safety to the core. A finish line at one of our country’s most heralded sporting events? Why?
As the next days and weeks unfold we’ll begin to hear all the stories of the eyewitnesses, the survivors, and those that died simply waiting at the finish line. Martin Richard, the 8 year old that was killed, was waiting for his father to finish the race. I think of the marathons that I’ve run—those last few miles are agony. In all cases, thoughts of my children waiting for me carried me through to the finish. I have no doubt that Martin’s father was thinking of him. How could he ever have imagined the horror that was waiting for him?
Runners, by nature, are a determined breed. We will run through snow, rain, wind, sleet, hail—you name it, we’ll run through it. But this? I wonder how many of the Boston marathoners will ever toe the line of a race again? How long will it be for those thousands of runners to lace up their shoes and go? Knowing what I know of runners, I hope it won’t be long. Running is the one thing that helps us cope, think, grieve, and pray.
I am running a half marathon this Saturday. I am not scared of the finish line. I will run, as will the others, with thoughts of Monday’s horrific events. We will run, knowing many of our brethren will struggle to lace up and go. We will run, knowing many of our brethren may never run again. We will run knowing it’s what we do when times are difficult: we run.
