Sarasota News Leader

04/19/2013

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Sarasota News Leader April 19, 2013 OPINION Page 69 that, the ones called ultra marathoners or en- There are runners who will never qualidurance athletes. fy for the most treasured road race in the All marathons present the lure of glorious completion. Only one necessitates a runner qualify for it: the Boston Marathon. It is probably the dream of almost every marathoner to "run Boston." Qualifying times are weighted by age, so people train to achieve their necessary goal. Most never reach it. Patriots weekend in Boston is very festive. Family and friends can come to the Expo, where you purchase Boston Marathon clothing and mementos. The "Carbo Up," held prior to the race, is never to be forgotten. It is usually held near the site of the Boston Tea Party. On the day of the marathon, runners are assigned starting positions according to their speed, with the pros in the front "pigpen" in Hopkinton. Understanding how that positioning works makes it plain that the terrorists' action was not designed to kill runners. It was planned to kill spectators. The winning runners typically finish in 2:10 to 2:25. Most of the runners arrive at the finish line around 4 hours or later. That means the greatest number of spectators will be on the streets, all around the finish line and along the route closest to it, later in the race. On Monday, these spectators and family members were the targets. world but still want to feel as though they are participating. They can contribute to the Dana Farber Cancer Fund and get a running number. They also are near the finish line at about the same time — with their families awaiting them. Their loved ones represented even more targets on Monday. On April 15, the day all marathon people dream of turned into a nightmare. In New York after 9/11, the running community staged a "United We Stand" series of races. It included an event that passed Ground Zero in the third mile, just three months after the tragedy. It is the only road race I ever ran in which everyone stopped running at that point, said a prayer, then continued the race. The American spirit and our way of life — our love of freedom — will never be broken by anyone. Next year in Boston , that statement will be made loud and clear, just as it was in New York in 2001. Editor's note: Norman Schimmel of Sarasota ran 1,000 road races between 1982 and 2002, including 40 half marathons and 21 marathons. %

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