Boston Strong, 10 Years On

BOSTON — I don’t remember exactly where I was when I heard that two bombs had exploded near the finish line of the Boston Marathon 10 years ago, but I do remember exactly how I felt. I knew instantly that somehow, some way, I was going to run that race the next year.

Pretty much every serious runner I know had the same reaction.

It goes without saying, but it is important to say nevertheless, that the human toll of that day, the three lives lost, the amputations and hundreds of other injuries, will always be foremost in every runner’s mind. The pain of the victims and their families, on that day and enduring since, may evolve but will always be there.

At another level though, so many of us who run these races took that attack personally, just as we did when Ahmaud Arbery was killed, or when anyone is assaulted or murdered for doing nothing more than chasing fitness and endorphins. Running in the face of that may be a small thing that helps only us, but it’s a way to deal with the anger. It feels defiant, like a way to say you-know-what to anyone who tries to mess with the thing we love, the people who do it, and those who support us.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/17/sports/boston-marathon-running-10-years-later.html