Even though the Boston Marathon was postponed and and then cancelled and transformed into a Virtual Race Experience, the Spirit of the Boston Marathon is going strong - Boston Strong.
My day on Saturday began at 6:15am as Rachel Glazer sent a text to her Team Emmet crew that she was at the starting line in Hopkinton.
I felt the excitement of the start of her Virtual Boston Marathon race day course through me. I remembered that day on April 20, 2009 when we stood at that very starting line with the mobility impaired runners beginning the culmination of over a year of training to run 26.2 miles from Hopkinton to Boston.
As the group texts cheered on Rachel and tracked her as she made her way to each water stop, Team McManus packed up the car with the provisions Rachel had dropped off on Friday for herself and her running buddies and the sign she designed to honor the memory of Emmet who died last year at Childrens Hospital Boston. Rachel's run raised over $8000 for the Miles for Miracle Team. Rachel and her family have been friends with Emmet's mom's family through the years.
We were a group of strangers connected through Rachel who became a community with one purpose in our hearts; to support Rachel to the finish line of the 2020 Virtual Boston Marathon for which she trained for 9 months.
She posed in Wellesley:
The excitement grew as we saw a photo of her at the Johnny Kelley statue via text and knew we would soon see her at mile 20:
We paused to take a selfie:
and sent Rachel and her buddies on their way with #morecowbell.
It was our turn to take to Heartbreak Hill to get in our 5K.
Even though the streets were filled with cars instead of runners and few runners were out running, the Spirit of Boston was palpable on the hills. Every time I received a text, we briefly paused to track Rachel's progress and send her words of encouragement.
When we got the text she was at the Finish Line, I was overcome with emotion. I knew what this race meant for Rachel, her running buddy who traveled from Michigan to run his Virtual Boston 2020 and to the circle of friends who cheered her on. It was the culmination of 9 months of training and fund raising and having her journey fueled by the courage of a boy who died last September.
We captured moments on our run:
and reflected on our Boston Marathon experience in 2009 as Team McManus and 2011 for Tom running with Miles for Miracle team when we raised almost $10,000 for Childrens. In 2009 we raised $10,535 for Spaulding Rehab where I took my first steps on my healing journey with Post Polio Syndrome.
Crossing that finish line is always a powerful emotional experience:
As we drove back to our house we saw a lone runner sporting an MGH singlet. We made sure to give him a honk and a thumbs up cheering as we drove by.
What an honor and gift to be support crew for Rachel for a most unusual Boston Marathon experience. While we miss all the magic and wonder of live races especially the 2020 Boston Marathon, as Rachel said, Saturday was amazing and special in its own way.
It's Twelve Days of the Boston Marathon in 2020 and the Spirit of the Boston Marathon is being experienced here in Boston and around the globe!
This photo of medals designed and made in the USA by Ashworth Awards was posted with a very special #medalmonday hashtag:
It will be a treasured keepsake for the year the Boston Marathon was cancelled yet its powerful Spirit lived on!
To be inspired by my journey from a wheelchair to the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon and beyond be sure to visit my website at www.marymcmanus.com
My books are available on Amazon.
Good luck to all the runners! As Meb said, "Run to win. That doesn't mean being in first place but in getting the best out of yourself."
From my heart to yours
In health and wellness
Mary
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