This past Monday was the Boston Marathon and thousands of runners realized their dreams of completing this historic race. Everyone that runs the Boston Marathon has some goal, whether it is to just enjoy the ride and finish or qualify for next year’s Boston Marathon on the course itself. This year, another act of kindness demonstrated how runners help each other.
Awesome Demonstration of Support for a Fellow Runner
The Spirit of the Marathon
One of the things I love the most about running marathons is the camaraderie out on the course. Most of us do not know each other but we are all out there running the same race on the same course. It is really the only sport in the world where we can do the same thing and on the same surface as the professionals in the sport who make a lot of money doing it. But it is also a place where we often help each other to accomplish our goals.
As we approach the end of a marathon, it is very common hearing voices of encouragement flow back and forth along the course as we struggle to reach our goal. Being able to help another runner, give a slap on the back, or a water bottle can all be little acts of kindness that can help push the runner over the line.
Support In Boston
The story that came out from Monday was about a runner that was targeting his goal of sub-3 hours for the Boston Marathon. But, Ari Ofsevit began to have serious issues as the race came to a close. In fact, the reports said that his recorded body temperature after the finish was almost 109 degrees as a result of the heat stroke he was suffering. His body was suffering so bad that he collapsed only 100 feet from the finish line of the 26.2 mile race.
What happened next is amazing as well and shows the spirit of the marathon in particular and running in general. Two runners, Jim Driscoll and Mitch Kries, stopped to help him and they continued to help as they carried him over the finish line, his arms draped over their shoulders. They made sure he crossed first and he did so in a final time of 3:03:05, which is an incredible time for anyone let alone someone who was suffering this much.
When you are talking about a time of near 3 hours in Boston, you are talking about people that have put in serious training time and miles to get to that point. Breaking 3 hours is huge in any marathon but to be able to do it in Boston is really big.
There is no mention of how long the delay to check and help Ari took from Jim and Mitch’s time, but it certainly made them finish in slightly longer time than they could have. But, a runner was down and they stopped to help him get across. What a great feeling to be able to do something like that for a fellow runner and to demonstrate, again, how strong the support for fellow runners can be.
HT: Boston Globe
