Remembering the Boston Marathon bombings. (Taken from TerrellDailyPhoto.com)

I may have been more than 9,000 miles away when I first heard about the tragic news of the Boston Marathon bombings on April 15, 2013.

As an avid runner myself, I still remember reading and watching videos about the trauma that had unfolded that fateful day in Boston – events that had shocked me to the core.

Unthinkable Tragedy

The immediate aftermath of the tragedy had been totally unthinkable. A marathon is supposed to be a cause for celebration and certainly not a bloodbath.

And the Boston Marathon is not just any marathon race. It is supposed to be one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious marathons in the world. For many runners, the bombs had ruined their dreams of a lifetime.

The Singapore Blade Runner will take on the Boston Marathon again this year.

First anniversary of the bombings

Today marks the first anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombings. But to many of the survivors and the next of kin, the incident is, no doubt, still fresh in their minds.

But despite that, the running community will not let the bombings overwhelm them. Runners are made of much sterner stuff and they will not shy away in the face of danger.

In fact, the Boston Marathon this year has attracted its second largest ever number of runners.

Next week, more than 45,000 runners will take to the streets – 9,000 more than last year’s 36,000 marathoners.

Running to commemorate the fallen

Some of the Boston Marathon victims themselves are even going to show the running community, and the whole world, that they are made of sterner stuff too – by actually running again in the Boston Marathon this year.

In fact, I know of one runner who will be taking on the 2014 Boston Marathon – even though the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings are still fresh in his mind. He is the Singapore Blade Runner, who was a mere 800m away from the finishing line when the first bomb had exploded.

And this year, he will be returning to the Boston Marathon much stronger, and determined to finish the race, not only for himself but for the victims and casualties as well. It is really people like him that epitomize the never-say-die spirit of the running community – worldwide.

More Blog Posts

Click here for some last minute marathon running tips.

Click here for tips from Singapore’s oldest marathoner, Chan Meng Hui.

Click here for running tips from South East Asia’s fastest marathoner, Mok Ying Ren.

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