On Sunday March 8th, after a wildly successful weekend at the Hyannis Marathon Weekend, Team McManus hosted a water stop at the corner of Center Street and Commonwealth Avenue for L Street Running Club. We invited other runners who were running through for what would be one of their last long training runs for the season to help themselves to refreshment. The excitement was palpable as runners were eagerly anticipating Boston's rite of Spring scheduled for April 20, 2020. It would have been the 11th anniversary of our 2009 Boston Marathon run on April 20, 2009. I was eagerly anticipating this year's race weekend to cheer on my runner friends and to be a part of this year's Expo. I was invited to be a part of the panel Whole Life Running/Late Life Running that was scheduled for 10am on Sunday April 19th.
Five days after our water stop where we reconnected with our friends who are like family, the announcement was made that the Boston Marathon would be postponed until September 14th. Runners and spectators' hearts and souls felt deflated but a glimmer of hope remained that the pandemic would subside and Boston would be able to run again. You could almost hear the collective groans of runners around the globe that the training season would be extended.
On May 28th the announcement was made that the Boston Marathon was cancelled. While it came as no surprise, there was anger, grief, disappointment and frustration.
The BAA decided to pivot and go with a Virtual Boston Marathon Experience.
I will admit that at first, I was so over the Boston Marathon for 2020. My heart went out to those who worked so hard to fund raise for their charities and there was not an option to parlay that work into an entry for 2021. There was even a question of what the Boston Marathon 2021 would look like given the current circumstances of the pandemic.
As I saw my friends taking a break and then building the miles for the Virtual Experience, my feelings began to shift.
I was in awe once again to see #bostonstrong take hold in the hearts and souls of runners. Last Saturday we experienced a somewhat subdued yet palpable excitement for the Virtual Experience on Heartbreak Hill.
The BAA has selected its Champion Ambassadors who have this to say about the upcoming Boston Marathon Virtual Experience:
“Having won my first Boston Marathon last year, I’m excited to join thousands of participants and cover 26.2 miles as part of the Boston Marathon Virtual Experience,” said Romanchuk. “The community spirit around the Boston Marathon is always strong, and that will stay true this year.”
“The Boston Marathon is a special race, with lots of history and meaningful moments,” said McFadden. “This year’s Boston Marathon Virtual Experience will be a new chapter in race history that I’m honored to be a part of as a Champion Ambassador.”
“The determination and strength of Boston Marathoners is unmatched, and it will definitely be on display around the world for this year’s Boston Marathon Virtual Experience,” said Linden. “While we may not be in Boston, we’re still united in spirit, and as a Champion Ambassador I’ll be supporting from start to finish.”
“Boston Marathoners are determined, and always finish Boston strong,” said Keflezighi. “Training for many months, they’re about to reach the finish of the Boston Marathon Virtual Experience, and as a Champion Ambassador I’m eager to celebrate their journey.”
Team McManus is going to be support crew for our dear friend Rachel Glazer on Saturday on Heartbreak Hill. Rachel is an event planner who is planning for her support crew with a sign and dropping off water and gatorade:
She is running once again for Childrens Hospital holding a very special little boy deep in her heart while she runs Miles for Miracles.
I am following the Race for Rehab Team on Facebook. While we won't be out on the course with our Find Your Strength T shirts on nor will we gather at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel to celebrate the runners and gather with other alumni, we will feel the excitement of the team running their 26.2 miles having raised funds to support Spaulding Rehab. We ran with them in Spirit for 2.62 miles on 4/20/2020 wearing our Race for Rehab jackets that still fit us after all those years. I dedicated my April 20th blog post to the runners who trained so hard and offered a recap of my Race for Rehab Team experience.
Conventures, Inc. has worked tirelessly to create a Boston Marathon Expo Virtual Experience. We convened our panel via Zoom and it will air twice during the Virtual Boston Marathon festivities September 4th-15th.
While the landscape of the Boston Marathon has shifted, the spirit of the Boston Marathon remains. The resilience of the running community remains Boston Strong as we count down to the Virtual Boston Marathon Experience.
My Channel 7 News Story capturing my Boston Marathon journey:
Be sure to visit my website at www.marymcmanus.com to be inspired by how I became a part of the Boston Marathon experience.
My books are available on Amazon
From my heart to yours
In health and wellness
Mary
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