What a difference a year makes. 2014 Boston Marathon inspirations....

What a difference a year makes.

"Run like you stole it” is one of my favourite banners that you often see held up by fans along a marathon route.  For this year’s 2014 Boston Marathon it could have read “run like someone else stole it”. 

Because that’s what happened in 2013. The event was stolen from us runners, regardless of whether or not we’re from Boston.

Looking back on what I wrote 12 months ago after the 2013 event is a pretty grim picture:
http://runninghelps.blogspot.com.au/2013_04_01_archive.html

Going back to Boston this year was a decision made in the hours after last year’s tragedy. Despite having ticked it off my running bucket list it was an easy decision to make, to be part of the biggest running event of 2014. But I didn't realise quite how big - and important - it would be. 

What a difference a year makes. Here's what inspired me most at Boston this year ...

Outside the Boston Gardens: the Celtic's stadium.
"Boston Strong" was the theme of the week - spoken, displayed, worn, tattooed. 

1. THE CITY

2013 was, regrettably, the most famous running of the race ever. So 2014 was always going to be bigger in every way; number of runners, media coverage, and, above all, emotions.  I only discovered recently that “Boston bombings” was the number one Google search of 2013.  Yes, that big.

The Boston Celtics: A standing ovation, nary a dry eye. 

The Boston Red Sox:  Poignant. Powerful. Impressive tribute. 

Accordingly, tributes were plentiful. From the Vice President encouraging everyone to “reclaim the finish line”, through to survivors and families who were (rightly) celebrated, many of them becoming the face of this year’s event. The swirl of emotions surrounding this year’s event wasn't for the elite, but for the common runner, regardless of whether they had qualified for Boston or not. 

The authorities did a great job.

Lines remained constant outside Marathon Sports, the site of the first bomb. The One Fund continued to raise millions and the city embraced the running world like never before. And the tributes were all beautifully, sensitively, tastefully done. Couldn't fault any of them. Well done. 

Prayer flags, hand knitted scarves and "blessing of the runners". The Churches were packed - and right in the middle of it all. 

National Prayer Flags - contributed by the people and spread across the Boston Common. 

The Boston Library hosted a tribute based on the impromptu shrine built at the Police barricade last year. 

2. SOME OF THE INSPIRING PEOPLE I MET

This is Ryan Hall. America's fastest ever marathoner and one of my running heroes.
He gets the tag 'hero' in my books because I admire him more for what he stands for, how he goes about it
& what he pursues more than what he achieves. 
He ran & helped Meb win this year. Selfless. Amazing.

"The Man in the cowboy hat" was a central hero, rushing in to help others as soon as the bombs went off last year. Carlos Arrendondo will forever be a national hero.
Tatyana McFadden won the women's wheelchair race - weeks after winning the same event in London to top her 'grand slam' of the year. An incredible back story (like Meb).  Found in a Russian orphanage with spina bifida, adopted, , given a chance, turned into a hero. Helping others. Wow. 

Janji, founder, Dave Spandorfer. Janji is a sports brand close to my heart. Buy a piece of Janji apparel and give water and life to those needy in third world countries. Fantastic. We were their first ever Australian customer and it was a delight to meet him and some of the Janji crew. 

Bart Yasso. His title at Runner's World Magazine is "Chief Running Officer".
Cool. Legend. Say no more. 

What's more inspiring than introducing your son to a 73 year old man who has pushed his 51 year old disabled son in a wheelchair for over 30 Boston Marathons ........
Dick Hoyt. 

Truly worthy of a statue  (Dick, not Benny!!)

Dean Karnzes. The ultra marathoner.
On Time Magazine's list of most influential people in the world.

And many, many more.  I would have been happy just meeting all these people and not even running the race! (Well, not really but there are many impressive people we can learn a lot from).

3. THE RACE DAY CROWDS

The race was run in ideal weather conditions. Running alongside amputees, survivors, and wheelchairs was amazing as the crowds, estimated at over a million and double that of previous years, was deafening. They carried many along for the ride. They turned Boston into a stadium of noise.

      Check out the dude on my right. A double amputee, running for the Martin Richard charity team (MR8).                
Martin was the first death in 2013 - the 8 year old who captured hearts with his "no more hurting people" sign.
His sister lost a leg, his mother brain injuries... their family was there again this year.
The cheers for these runners was bigger than any AFL cheer squad ever. 

There were many Aussies along the course. Running with your name or country written on your shirt guarantees an extra boost of fan power energy. Sure security was everywhere, but I felt extremely safe. Safe enough to take my 13 year old son along with me to experience this memorable running experience.

Daffodils were planted along the length of the course by volunteers - in time to bloom during the event.                      'The Marathon Daffodils' were one of many, many powerful visual memorials. 

My first ever live satellite cross to the Today Show!

4. THE WINNERS

The winners were deserving, Rita Jeptoo now a 3 times winner in the womens; Tatyana McFadden completed a wheelchair “grand slam”, and Erst Van Dyk won his tenth wheelchair Boston. Amazing.

The finish line 2014. What a difference a year makes. A glorious sight. 

Meb. A winner at 38.
"God give me the strength to get there"

This photo is from 2013 when I met Meb Keflezighi. Another of my heroes.    
Olympic medallist, New York winner. Now Boston winner. 
Born in Eritrea, Africa he grew up with very little (didn't even see TV until he was 10!) and fled civil war to the USA via Italy. His book "Run to win" is a great story of overcoming and never giving up. He said to me last year "Make it count". I wrote it on my hand. 
This year he wrote the bomb victims names on his bib. He made it count. 

But the biggest winners were the ordinary runners, those who had qualified and those who hadn't. And the hundreds of bombing victims that ran. Every one of them was a winner this day. Together we "reclaimed the finish line" as the Vice President had urged. 

Seemingly everyone running turned it into a tribute run. 

With the race run, the post-race celebrations returned. The celebration that had been ‘on hold’ for 12 months was now allowed to unfold. We could finally enjoy ourselves and enjoy being runners again. The fact that Meb Keflezighi won made the celebrations even more exciting.  No one was in any hurry to leave. The post event party energised the city. It’s like the AFL Grand Final when your team wins … but in this sport, everyone is a winner!  People ‘high five’ you and congratulate you …just because you’re wearing a running bib!

More powerfully is when people come up to you and say "thank you" and shake your hand. They're saying "thank you" for coming. Thank you for restoring their event. Thank you for restoring their city.  

5. THE EVENT

The Finish Line and the post-race celebrations that we all wanted to see.

The Boston legend will only continue to grow.  So if you want to experience the marathon at its most historic, add qualifying for Boston to your bucket list. You’ll be part of a great tradition, an inspiring event and better than Wimbledon or the Golf Masters, remind yourself that no other sport allows you to join in with the elite and be part of its biggest event of the year. Only running.

This year the world’s runners reclaimed the finish line, Boston reclaimed its strength and event. The 119^th running will now go on, bigger and better.

I was privileged to be part of it. It was a very important event and had a sense of importance I have rarely found. It was a joy to take my son, to teach him stories, tell of legends, meet quality people, learn history and understand why they are important.

Benny learnt a marathon lesson too!

It was important. Because it was a day that taught the world a lesson we runners know - you never run a marathon alone. You keep going. You never quit. As a result, people moved on. As the Vice President, Joe Biden, said earlier: "My God, you have survived and you have soared."

I feel privileged to have witnessed it and been part of it.

It's important to me when others get inspired to join others to run. Join me?

Andrew McKenzie (3:15:37 - PB)

Postscript:  I couldn't help wondering about the bomber, locked in a Boston prison. Did he have access to watch the race? Did he see the way the world moved forward? He surely heard about it. What does he think and feel now? He lost.