thoughts on the terrorism at the boston marathon

i wasn't at the boston marathon this year, but many of my friends were there, running, spectating, or volunteering.  it's one of my favorite events, and i've run it 7 times over the last 10 years (as recently as 2011).  it took a call from my wife (who was visiting colgate university w/katie), for me to turn on the t.v. and watch the unfolding coverage.  pat learned about the explosions from my mom - who mistakenly thought i had go to boston again this year and called pat when she couldn't reach me.

i was shocked and saddened to see the carnage wrought by the two bombs.  since the dark days of 9/11 i thought something similar would happen at the nyc marathon - but not boston.  maybe it was a sense of parochialism that made me think nyc - and not some other marathon.  we still have no idea who did this horrible thing - or why.  regardless of the eventual outcome (and the perpetrators will ultimately be held to account), the ugly and deadly consequences of terrorism have finally reached into our sport.

i doubt the terrorists have succeeded in instilling fear and terror - especially in the running community.  no matter what pain we've suffered in the immediate moment (and the pain that will be always be associated with the memories), no matter how difficult it is to come to grips with the utter senselessness of the violence, we will move forward.  people will continue to run races, people will continue to volunteer at races and, just as significantly, people will continue to come out and spectate.

there will be plenty of memories associated with that stretch of boylston street as runners finish future boston marthons.  and that's the point, no act of terror will derail the boston marathon, the nyc marathon, or any marathon or race.  however difficult future races become as a result of tighter security, they will - thankfully - continue.  if we don't continue running - then the terrorists have achieved their evil objectives.  that won't happen.