Marathon Monday, also the same day as Patriot’s Day, is a
holiday within itself, and it’s just a few days away. Although it causes road closings, traffic,
and crowds all over Boston, it is sincerely worth it. The Boston Marathon is an annual tradition
that the city has rightfully prided itself on for 116 years now. Unfortunately, I have never physically been in
Boston to watch runners endure it. I can
say, however, that I have taken interest in second-hand accounts, like watching
it on television each year and gathering information from a family friend that
has participated several times.
Anyone can understand that a 26-mile run is no joke. Training for a marathon, especially one of
this stature, requires plenty of endurance, strength, and determination. An aspiring marathon runner must train months,
and sometimes years, in advance to be in tip-top shape for when the day
arrives. The runner that proved himself to
be in the best tip-top shape last year was Geoffrey Mutai from Kenya. He finished the excruciating 26-miles in a
short two hours and three minutes. That
is astonishing. However, he wasn’t the
only one that conquered this incredible expedition. Many other runners, from all over the world,
came to Boston and dominated the run as well.
Out
of a total of 26,907 people that entered last year, a whopping grand total
of 23,913 finished.
In my younger, more naïve years, I always wondered why
people would put themselves through hours of this kind of sweat, exhaustion,
and utter pain. Now, I can confidently
say, I have a much greater understanding of why they do it. Lots of runners are sponsored and they do it
to raise money and/or awareness for causes that are close to their hearts. These kinds of goals, that are especially
important, provide a means of motivation to each runner to keep going until the
end. The family friend that I have known
to be a Boston Marathon runner for quite some time is a man in his mid-20’s,
named Kevin. In recent consecutive
years, he is one of thousands to run across that finish line with his arms wide
open and a huge smile spread across his face.
I have asked him many times to explain his experiences at the
marathon. He has confidently told me time
and time again that there is “no better feeling” than completing the Boston
Marathon.
I truly believe that seeing an inspirational event, like the
Boston Marathon, can ultimately be life-changing. Seeing something so significant can really
put things into perspective. Watching it
can prove to us that goals have the potential to carry us a long way. After all, participants are not only athletes
by completing the marathon, but they also serve important roles in raising
money for causes that need it. One day, I
believe Marathon Monday has the potential to commonly be viewed as a day for
all of us to be inspired and set some goals for ourselves. After all, we only live once. The Boston Marathon will be covered by CBS on
Monday, April 16 from 8am-1:30pm, and it is an event that I strongly encourage
everyone to watch or be a part of!
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