Boston Strong…Creating the American Spirit after Tragedy

The Boston Marathon, the world’s oldest annual marathon ranking as as one of the world’s best-known road racing events was especially poignant this Patriot’s Day, April 21, 2014. After the horrific bombings last year, the loss of four lives and many limbs, the city came back under the cry of ‘Boston Strong.’

Boston Marathon – 2014

My nephew, Ian, a graduate student at MIT, was participating in this special event. He and his girlfriend Sara, were among the 35,660 runners that included those that never finished the race last year, as well as many new entrants. A whopping 5,330 runners came from more than 70 countries outside of the US. Ian and Sara spent many hours of preparation for their first marathon as well as much involvement in the fund-raising efforts for their friend Sean Collier, the slain police officer at MIT. Emotions were running high, determination ran deep, and the weather was perfect for the event.

It was a family event and we were all excited to cheer the marathoners on, along with record crowds! It was quite a moving event, to see the elite runners pass by, the disabled runners with determined effort, and the amazing energy of the crowds was electric. We parked ourselves at Mile 16, right before ‘heartbreak hill’ and we rang our cow bells and cheered our hearts out! It was a wonderful day of success and the determined American Spirit.

Ian and Sara Success!

The first American man to win the Boston Marathon since 1983 crossed the finish line Monday, triumphant in a storied race that has become a national symbol of resiliency and determination. Meb Keflezighi, at 37 years old, won the men’s division with an official time of 2:08:37, becoming the marathon’s oldest winner in 83 years. For Kenya’s Rita Jeptoo, 33, it was a second consecutive victory. She again won the women’s division with a course record time of 2:18:57. Tatyana McFadden, 25 won the women’s wheelchair title in Boston for the second time, running for Martin Richard, 8 who was killed in the 2013 bombing.

Lot of winners, and of course, Ian and Sara finished, happy and successful in their pursuit.
I hear that there was a 99% finish rate this year, the highest ever; a testimony to the American Sprit. It is a shining example of optimism and determination. ‘Boston Strong’ rang loud and clear and provided a backdrop for an extraordinary event!