Boston Marathon 2013

[bruyere]

I'm not paying much attention to the mainstream news tonight. The firsthand stuff on the internet is incredible.

I had the same reaction. I turned on the TV a bit before the 5pm news and heard them doing the whole "Tragedy in Boston..." thing, where they got a couple of things wrong and it was all sensationalized. Turned the TV off and went back to the 'net.

[randomgirl]

Haven't been on here in while but I just wanted to say PHEW that all our Maniacs seem to be OK.

My heart goes out to everyone. Just a sad, senseless tragedy.


RG

[Sandra]

Glad to hear everyone from RM and their friends and family are all ok. Still can't believe this happened - such a senseless act of violence. My heart goes out to all those affected by yesterday's bombings.

[Midge]

when the news broke the first thing i did was to check in here
i knew that RM Nation would have tabs on their own and needed to know that all were safe - so glad too hear that the orange survived this horrible incident

i think from here on everyone runs for Boston, everyone runs for love and peace

take care

[La]

I'm not paying much attention to the mainstream news tonight. The firsthand stuff on the internet is incredible.

I had the same reaction. I turned on the TV a bit before the 5pm news and heard them doing the whole "Tragedy in Boston..." thing, where they got a couple of things wrong and it was all sensationalized. Turned the TV off and went back to the 'net.

I don't think a lot of stuff on the 'net was any more reliable than anything being rehashed on CNN or any other network.

[canalrunner]

This is a sick and heinous act at what is the mecca for many marathoners. The reasons why will be discovered. They will never be justifiable reasons. I have run Boston 3 times so I got lots of calls and emails yesterday asking me if I was there. I was not, and hadn't planned on running Boston again. Now I feel I want to go back next year, to send a message that the joy and fullness of life that running a marathon symbolizes isn't going to be stopped by whatever dark and pitiful lives sparked this event.

[n_fraser]

Came in to see how all the RMers in Boston are. Looks like everyone is accounted for and is okay. My heart is heavy on hearing this news.

[RayMan.2]

This is a sick and heinous act at what is the mecca for many marathoners. The reasons why will be discovered. They will never be justifiable reasons. I have run Boston 3 times so I got lots of calls and emails yesterday asking me if I was there. I was not, and hadn't planned on running Boston again. Now I feel I want to go back next year, to send a message that the joy and fullness of life that running a marathon symbolizes isn't going to be stopped by whatever dark and pitiful lives sparked this event.

I too got lots of calls, and lots of advice against ever going there again. I think I have to let things settle a bit before I can decide whether to go back there, or stay away. I like your response, CR. Thanks for that perspective.

Two years ago I hugged my family during my second Boston marathon at almost the precise point where the second bomb exploded...unimaginable...

[barebuns1]

It is good to see all the maniacs are safe. I can only hope that MA has the death penalty!

[Stephan]

It is good to see all the maniacs are safe. I can only hope that MA has the death penalty!

I would think this will fall under a separate jurisdiction..... no words can explain how sick this all makes me feel.

[Doonst]

This is a sick and heinous act at what is the mecca for many marathoners. The reasons why will be discovered. They will never be justifiable reasons. I have run Boston 3 times so I got lots of calls and emails yesterday asking me if I was there. I was not, and hadn't planned on running Boston again. Now I feel I want to go back next year, to send a message that the joy and fullness of life that running a marathon symbolizes isn't going to be stopped by whatever dark and pitiful lives sparked this event.

I hear what you're saying, and have crossed that famed finish line with great joy myself. I have heard a lot of runners say they want to run it next year. Still, after reading about the 8 year old boy who died waiting to see his father finish, and his sister who lost a leg, and mother with a brain injury, if people will still want their families in the crowd. We may end up affected in spite of our best wishes.
No offense intended.

[purdy65]

This is a sick and heinous act at what is the mecca for many marathoners. The reasons why will be discovered. They will never be justifiable reasons. I have run Boston 3 times so I got lots of calls and emails yesterday asking me if I was there. I was not, and hadn't planned on running Boston again. Now I feel I want to go back next year, to send a message that the joy and fullness of life that running a marathon symbolizes isn't going to be stopped by whatever dark and pitiful lives sparked this event.

Amen Marc!

I also got a lot of calls and texts, and my sister had facebook friends that were asking about me (my FB friends knew I was not running and OK).

I had a bit of a meltdown last night. I like Marc's idea though. Almost made up my mind to run a fall marathon to try and qualify again.

[Robinandamelia]

This is a sick and heinous act at what is the mecca for many marathoners. The reasons why will be discovered. They will never be justifiable reasons. I have run Boston 3 times so I got lots of calls and emails yesterday asking me if I was there. I was not, and hadn't planned on running Boston again. Now I feel I want to go back next year, to send a message that the joy and fullness of life that running a marathon symbolizes isn't going to be stopped by whatever dark and pitiful lives sparked this event.

Amen Marc!

I also got a lot of calls and texts, and my sister had facebook friends that were asking about me (my FB friends knew I was not running and OK).

I had a bit of a meltdown last night. I like Marc's idea though. Almost made up my mind to run a fall marathon to try and qualify again.

Ditto this for me as well. I had a lot of FB notes/emails etc making sure I was home. I have this profound sense of sadness that I can't seem to shake. My 8 year old daughter, friends and loved ones, stood on that sidewalk to support me last year...it makes me ill when I read about the 8 year old boy that is dead (his sister and mother injured), watching for his dad in the race.

I'm so glad everyone I know that was down there is safe but the sadness is overwhelming. I'm qualified to go next year but I'm not sure I could do it. I'm really glad that I'm doing Chicago alone (no friends/daughter). Hopefully it passes but for right now, I'm struggling with the whole thing.

[Dr. S]

This is a sick and heinous act at what is the mecca for many marathoners. The reasons why will be discovered. They will never be justifiable reasons. I have run Boston 3 times so I got lots of calls and emails yesterday asking me if I was there. I was not, and hadn't planned on running Boston again. Now I feel I want to go back next year, to send a message that the joy and fullness of life that running a marathon symbolizes isn't going to be stopped by whatever dark and pitiful lives sparked this event.

Amen Marc!

I also got a lot of calls and texts, and my sister had facebook friends that were asking about me (my FB friends knew I was not running and OK).

I had a bit of a meltdown last night. I like Marc's idea though. Almost made up my mind to run a fall marathon to try and qualify again.

Ditto this for me as well. I had a lot of FB notes/emails etc making sure I was home. I have this profound sense of sadness that I can't seem to shake. My 8 year old daughter, friends and loved ones, stood on that sidewalk to support me last year...it makes me ill when I read about the 8 year old boy that is dead (his sister and mother injured), watching for his dad in the race.

I'm so glad everyone I know that was down there is safe but the sadness is overwhelming. I'm qualified to go next year but I'm not sure I could do it. I'm really glad that I'm doing Chicago alone (no friends/daughter). Hopefully it passes but for right now, I'm struggling with the whole thing.

I also find it really hard, have been crying on/off, I guess I'm super emotional right now... I just keep thinking about all these people having nothing to do with a conflict and getting really badly injured (imputation etc.) or killed. It's so tragic and sad.

[Pat29]

This is a sick and heinous act at what is the mecca for many marathoners. The reasons why will be discovered. They will never be justifiable reasons. I have run Boston 3 times so I got lots of calls and emails yesterday asking me if I was there. I was not, and hadn't planned on running Boston again. Now I feel I want to go back next year, to send a message that the joy and fullness of life that running a marathon symbolizes isn't going to be stopped by whatever dark and pitiful lives sparked this event.

Well said. I agree on wanting to be there next year.

News reports this morning are saying the 8 year-old boy who lost his life was waiting to greet his dad at the finish line. His 6 year-old sister lost a leg. Such a heartbreaking story.

[ceileigh]

http://thepenguinchronicles.com/2013/04 ... ing-after/

John Binghams' post. I found it well written.

[AjaxRunner]

This is a sick and heinous act at what is the mecca for many marathoners. The reasons why will be discovered. They will never be justifiable reasons. I have run Boston 3 times so I got lots of calls and emails yesterday asking me if I was there. I was not, and hadn't planned on running Boston again. Now I feel I want to go back next year, to send a message that the joy and fullness of life that running a marathon symbolizes isn't going to be stopped by whatever dark and pitiful lives sparked this event.

Well said. I agree on wanting to be there next year.

News reports this morning are saying the 8 year-old boy who lost his life was waiting to greet his dad at the finish line. His 6 year-old sister lost a leg. Such a heartbreaking story.

Absolutely breaks my heart. I have an 8 year old son and a 7 year old daughter who I would love to have greet me at the finish line of the Boston Marathon...

Such a senseless act.

It does however strengthen my resolve to get to the Boston Marathon.

[ceileigh]

When I listened to the race in the morning one of the elite women talked about watching the Boston marathon as a child and dreaming of running it never imagining she could actually achieve something like that and now here she was running as an elite runner in that same race. As I think about the 8 year old who lost his life I can't help but to compare the stories ...

At the same time the stories of support from people in Boston to runners displaced from their hotels in the lockdown are amazing and wonderful to read.

[bruyere]

I'm not paying much attention to the mainstream news tonight. The firsthand stuff on the internet is incredible.

I had the same reaction. I turned on the TV a bit before the 5pm news and heard them doing the whole "Tragedy in Boston..." thing, where they got a couple of things wrong and it was all sensationalized. Turned the TV off and went back to the 'net.

I don't think a lot of stuff on the 'net was any more reliable than anything being rehashed on CNN or any other network.

No, but I get to pick and choose and do my own looking around for other sources, and it's not all glitzed up and sensationalized. Even the NBC News live feed I watched on the Internet was more toned down than the intro to CTV's 5pm news. And, as I said, they had a couple of things wrong at that point - they'd had time to get things sorted out.

[bruyere]

When I listened to the race in the morning one of the elite women talked about watching the Boston marathon as a child and dreaming of running it never imagining she could actually achieve something like that and now here she was running as an elite runner in that same race. As I think about the 8 year old who lost his life I can't help but to compare the stories ...

At the same time the stories of support from people in Boston to runners displaced from their hotels in the lockdown are amazing and wonderful to read.

Yeah, one of the Reddit links Mike posted above had a great first-person account. And that spreadsheet of offerings of places to stay is so long!

[DLS]

when the news broke the first thing i did was to check in here
i knew that RM Nation would have tabs on their own and needed to know that all were safe - so glad too hear that the orange survived this horrible incident

This is exactly what I did. The mainstream media were streaming endless discussion and rehashing, and all I wanted to know was if everyone I knew was okay (it seems a bit shallow now, since obviously, some people I _don't_ know are maimed or dead. And as you can imagine, I had particular difficulty with the 8 yr old who died).

But although it was tempting to sit and watch the video reporting, I went out for a run last night, because _that's_ what the Boston Marathon is about -- not terrorism, not being a target. It's about people training hard for years to get to this one event, to achieve a Boston finish. I want to think of that the next time I enter a big city race, not be afraid that I might not be safe.

[ratherawkward]

Haven't chimed in yet although I've been following this thread. Thankful that everyone from RM is okay, but like everyone else, I'm just stunned by the whole thing.

[Stampie]

when the news broke the first thing i did was to check in here
i knew that RM Nation would have tabs on their own and needed to know that all were safe - so glad too hear that the orange survived this horrible incident

This is exactly what I did. The mainstream media were streaming endless discussion and rehashing, and all I wanted to know was if everyone I knew was okay (it seems a bit shallow now, since obviously, some people I _don't_ know are maimed or dead. And as you can imagine, I had particular difficulty with the 8 yr old who died).

But although it was tempting to sit and watch the video reporting, I went out for a run last night, because _that's_ what the Boston Marathon is about -- not terrorism, not being a target. It's about people training hard for years to get to this one event, to achieve a Boston finish. I want to think of that the next time I enter a big city race, not be afraid that I might not be safe.

Exactly! I'm also having a hard time dealing with the 8yr old boy and his family. This sickens me to no end; they were at the wrong place at the wrong time for all the right reasons; cheering in their Dad & husband. Senseless! This could have easily been one of us & our family involved. Though it is no different from any other night, I certainly gave my DS and my DD both extra big hugs as I put them to bed last night.

And this…

i think from here on everyone runs for Boston, everyone runs for love and peace

A group of TnT Alumni I know got together to a run yesterday evening for this exact reason, unfortunately due to prior commitments I was unable to join them.

[RobW]

Glad to hear people on here and their families are safe. My deepest sympathies to the victims and their families of this senseless act.

[deerdree]

This is a sick and heinous act at what is the mecca for many marathoners. The reasons why will be discovered. They will never be justifiable reasons. I have run Boston 3 times so I got lots of calls and emails yesterday asking me if I was there. I was not, and hadn't planned on running Boston again. Now I feel I want to go back next year, to send a message that the joy and fullness of life that running a marathon symbolizes isn't going to be stopped by whatever dark and pitiful lives sparked this event.

I hear what you're saying, and have crossed that famed finish line with great joy myself. I have heard a lot of runners say they want to run it next year. Still, after reading about the 8 year old boy who died waiting to see his father finish, and his sister who lost a leg, and mother with a brain injury, if people will still want their families in the crowd. We may end up affected in spite of our best wishes.
No offense intended.

I agree. I love cheering at the Boston Marathon - both times have been indescribably inspiring. And in general, I've cheered at more races than I've run. But this will affect me. Normally I can put these things in perspective, but something about this is different for me.