The Marathon Means Family

The 2014 Boston Marathon meant many things to many people.  It was the first year after the bombing and this year fell on Easter Monday.  To me, the Marathon means family.

When growing up on the North Coast of Cleveland, Ohio, we didn’t have a marathon.  The Cleveland Marathon is 37 years old, and so we were on the verge of moving to New England when it was just starting. 

When first moving to the area, living in Natick and working in Framingham, I didn’t know what to expect when a co-worker said we should “walk over” to the Marathon and greet the runners.  What I saw was a large party, with runners slapping hands with spectators, and little children handing out water and orange slices to the grateful runners.  This was cool…a sporting event where you can literally interact with the athletes.

As the years went by, the Marathon seemed to grow in size as did our family.  We made our own party, setting up at the Natick-Wellesley line, having cookouts and handing out water & oranges to the runners.  A friend also got us handing out petroleum jelly, something some runners are particularly appreciative for when they are in need.

As time went by, the kids went to college and the Marathon became something watched on the news.  Then my daughter started running marathons, and this brought the family back to the course supporting my daughter.

Marathon Monday was a beautiful day.  The “badness” of 2013 was pushed out of everyone’s mind.  Where we used to “camp” at one location, the challenge now is meeting the runner along the way.  After dropping her in Southborough (one of the new security measures – she was then bussed to Hopkinton and went through multiple security screenings), we meet up in Framingham, Wellesley, Newton and then at the finish….five stops overall.

Three generations of family came out to support Erin, and her fiancé joined our gang.  We would park as close as possible, and then walk over to the course.  We tracked location via her phone this year with an app “Find Friends”…which had us running to meet her in Newton after traffic delays.  Innumerable people support via text & social media.  Erin ran as a charity runner for the Mass General Hospital Home Base Program (the funds help veterans and their families heal from the invisible wounds of war) extending the number of people touched by the marathon.  Every donation, message or “like” on a post fed her legs.  In addition to the family on the course, hundreds of people sought updates on her progress and sent supportive messages.

Isn’t this community family?  It sure seemed it on Monday.

Speaking of family, 2014 is the last year for Dick and Rick Hoyt to run the Marathon.  They’ve been running for 37 years…as long as Cleveland has had a marathon.  The father pushes his son 26.2 miles, bringing tears to me every time I see them pursuing the goal together.

Some people describe long distance running as a solitary event.  The days and months leading up to the event are often spent in silent practice.  The Marathon is about running, and about family.

What does your family do on “Marathon Monday?”