Boston and Atlanta Unite
Today, for the eighth consecutive year, I joined 60,000 fellow runners, aspiring runners, and people drinking beer down Peachtree Road for a t-shirt to run the annual Peachtree Road Race.
For those that don't know, the PRR is the world's largest 10K race - fielding 60,000 runners that vie for a number through a lottery system and run for 6.2 miles in the heat to get a coveted t-shirt. And some will walk the race route, collecting free beer from the bars along the way. It's a very unique, and special experience. It's also great people watching too.
Given that it's the Fourth of July (and the PRR is at it's core a large Independence Day party), the fact that this is the biggest race perhaps on the planet in terms of attendance, and the terrorist attack in Boston last April, the police presence around the race was abundant and obvious. I could tell that they were "on" when, upon leaving MARTA I said "thank you" to one of the officers in the station and he simply ignored me and kept peering into the crowd for bad guys. That's how serious they took their duty today.
I wore my Boston Red Sox cap to the race today... In fact, I saw a LOT of Boston Strong shirts, Red Sox hats, and other folks showing love for Boston today. The Boston bombings, to us that love running and consider ourselves "runners," wasn't "just another terrorist attack" (as if there should be such a thing)... it was an attack on us.
I imagine that if you talk to anyone who's run a half of a full marathon, they would tell you (I could) that there was something that rose up inside of us when we saw the video of the bombings at the Boston Marathon... and at the finish line no less. Boston is special. It's the Super Bowl of marathons. We use terms like PR to describe our personal records, but we're in awe of those that get a BQ (Boston Qualifier). BQ means that you trained your tail off, and ran a full marathon in less than a 7:30 minute mile time (which is really fast... I'll never BQ, and I'm fine with that). That being said, we all know the sense of accomplishment when we have finished ALL that training and ran all of those miles, see the finish line, and can proudly say that "we've made it!!" as they put the coveted medal around our necks. That is a special feeling, it gives me goosebumps thinking about it. And...
That's what the Boston bombers, in my mind, attacked. It wasn't just the carnage, as horrific as that was and how we mourn for those whose lives will be forever impacted by such evil; it was the fact that they attacked the pride and the soul of the running community. Today's race was a test to that soul.
And you punks... you not only didn't destroy it... it's stronger than ever before.
Rain couldn't even stop or drench it. I've got the muddy shoes from Piedmont Park to prove it.
It was really cool today to see Atlanta's running community stand in support of Boston today, and especially to see the group in wheelchairs up on the top of Cardiac Hill watching and cheering for us as we started the second leg of the race. To see those hurt by tragedy cheering us on was one of the most inspiring things I've ever seen, and one of the reasons I was inspired to write today (as if you needed to read another Peachtree Road Race blog from me). To see the police officers determined to keep us safe, also inspired the heck out of me. Finally, seeing 59,999 runners laced up, undeterred, and running strong down Peachtree Road with love for Boston on our heads, our shirts, and our hearts inspired me.
It's even cooler that it was on the anniversary of our Declaration of Independence, of which the first shots were fired near Boston.
In the spirit of patriotism, don't ever forget that our freedom and liberty were paid for with the lives of many patriots, and that our freedom should never be taken for granted. So in light of that.
Happy birthday America!! :-)
For those that don't know, the PRR is the world's largest 10K race - fielding 60,000 runners that vie for a number through a lottery system and run for 6.2 miles in the heat to get a coveted t-shirt. And some will walk the race route, collecting free beer from the bars along the way. It's a very unique, and special experience. It's also great people watching too.
Given that it's the Fourth of July (and the PRR is at it's core a large Independence Day party), the fact that this is the biggest race perhaps on the planet in terms of attendance, and the terrorist attack in Boston last April, the police presence around the race was abundant and obvious. I could tell that they were "on" when, upon leaving MARTA I said "thank you" to one of the officers in the station and he simply ignored me and kept peering into the crowd for bad guys. That's how serious they took their duty today.
I wore my Boston Red Sox cap to the race today... In fact, I saw a LOT of Boston Strong shirts, Red Sox hats, and other folks showing love for Boston today. The Boston bombings, to us that love running and consider ourselves "runners," wasn't "just another terrorist attack" (as if there should be such a thing)... it was an attack on us.
I imagine that if you talk to anyone who's run a half of a full marathon, they would tell you (I could) that there was something that rose up inside of us when we saw the video of the bombings at the Boston Marathon... and at the finish line no less. Boston is special. It's the Super Bowl of marathons. We use terms like PR to describe our personal records, but we're in awe of those that get a BQ (Boston Qualifier). BQ means that you trained your tail off, and ran a full marathon in less than a 7:30 minute mile time (which is really fast... I'll never BQ, and I'm fine with that). That being said, we all know the sense of accomplishment when we have finished ALL that training and ran all of those miles, see the finish line, and can proudly say that "we've made it!!" as they put the coveted medal around our necks. That is a special feeling, it gives me goosebumps thinking about it. And...
That's what the Boston bombers, in my mind, attacked. It wasn't just the carnage, as horrific as that was and how we mourn for those whose lives will be forever impacted by such evil; it was the fact that they attacked the pride and the soul of the running community. Today's race was a test to that soul.
And you punks... you not only didn't destroy it... it's stronger than ever before.
Rain couldn't even stop or drench it. I've got the muddy shoes from Piedmont Park to prove it.
It was really cool today to see Atlanta's running community stand in support of Boston today, and especially to see the group in wheelchairs up on the top of Cardiac Hill watching and cheering for us as we started the second leg of the race. To see those hurt by tragedy cheering us on was one of the most inspiring things I've ever seen, and one of the reasons I was inspired to write today (as if you needed to read another Peachtree Road Race blog from me). To see the police officers determined to keep us safe, also inspired the heck out of me. Finally, seeing 59,999 runners laced up, undeterred, and running strong down Peachtree Road with love for Boston on our heads, our shirts, and our hearts inspired me.
It's even cooler that it was on the anniversary of our Declaration of Independence, of which the first shots were fired near Boston.
In the spirit of patriotism, don't ever forget that our freedom and liberty were paid for with the lives of many patriots, and that our freedom should never be taken for granted. So in light of that.
Keep being brave in pursuing your dreams. If you're a runner especially, lace up and hit the pavement.
Thank the soldiers that are defending us against terrorism. They deserve our gratitude, thanks, and support.
And above all that, thank God almighty that you get to live in the land of the free, and the home of the brave.
Happy birthday America!! :-)
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