Remembering the Spectators

As I am sure most people were doing, I spent much of this past week trying to make sense of the Boston Marathon Bombings.  Acts as horrific as these challenge our comprehension.  That the bombings occurred at all is jarring to say the least.  That they occurred at such a public event is frightening.  For me, as a member of the amateur running community, the bombings are somewhat personal, specifically because of who seemed to be the main targets of the attack – the spectators.

I claim membership in the running community based on my having completed two marathons, nine half-marathons, and several other races of various distances.  I have learned through my experiences that despite the existence of a “running community,” that label is something of a misnomer.  Running generally and long-distance running in particular largely are solitary activities.  Amateur runners mostly set their own personal goals (usually based on past achievements), run at their own individual paces, hit the wall at different and varied times, and do so mostly in isolation from each other when in the throes of a race.  This becomes most abundantly clear in the final legs of a long-distance race.  What makes the difference at that point – and where the sense of community fully manifests itself – is the gathering of spectators along the route.

Marathon spectators are a special lot.  Most are there to cheer for family and friends who are participating in the race.  Others are there out of sheer appreciation of the athletic abilities on display.  At times, however, these lines blur and people there to cheer family member or close friend invariably applaud all runners regardless of whom they are or why they run.  Ultimately, the spectators perform the most selfless of acts – they encourage their fellow human beings to do their best to accomplish the most they can.  As such, even the label “spectator” is a misnomer, as those in the crowd are valuable and important participants in the race. 

The second marathon I ever completed with the Philadelphia Marathon in November 2004.  Several friends turned out to cheer me through the race.  One group in particular met me at the finish line at the iconic stairs of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.  Having hit the wall at mile 20, I was unsure if I could finish the race.  By mile 23, I was questioning why I undertook the endeavor in the first place.  By mile 26, however, I heard my friends calling my name and cheering for me.  I do not think I could have crossed the finsh line had it not been for their encouragement.  Some of these friends and I were reminiscing last month about that day, and my friends happily reminded me how much they enjoyed themselves at the race and informed me that since then they have become enthusiastic boosters of their own town’s annual marathon making it a family affair to cheer on all of the runners.

I myself have joined the crowd to cheer for a friend or two; one at the finish of a triathlon and another during the 2009 Chicago Marathon.  Despite all of the events of the last week, I hope all of us in the running community continue to cheer each other on.