Catching a Break

Time: 58:23
Distance: 8.02 miles
Pace: 7:16
Map

Wow. What a difference a few degrees can make. The heat broke a bit and Meagan and I were out for our morning run from Main St. We ran the "Meagan Loop" that takes us south of town. My legs weren't too beat up from the race which is a good sign of the fitness.

The big part of the day occurred up in Oklahoma City at the Memorial. I had never visited the Memorial other than the few minutes we spent in part of the museum while I was at the marathon luncheon. The woman who was an organizer of the luncheon, Stacy, offered to give a private tour to myself, Meagan, Roger and pops. We met her in the lobby and she took us through the museum explaining the layout, the artifacts, the history, the committees, the state and national response, and the changed legislation. Everything about the event is documented, shared and explained in the truest and fairest manner possible. The tour was an emotional and uplifting experience considering the implications of the attack. When I ran the marathon I recognized the race was the Memorial's largest fundraiser but I didn't understand all the facts about the tragic event. Nor did I know individuals who had been affected by the bombing. That all changed after Stacy's tour because the museum puts a face to the day.

On the morning of April 19th, 1995, 168 lives were lost in one of the largest domestic terrorist attacks on the United States. As a competitor at the OKC Marathon, I knew about the 168 lives but I didn't know names. I didn't know faces. I didn't know their stories. That all changed this Monday during Stacy's tour and I thank her greatly. The OKC Memorial Marathon is more than a race, it's an event that raised $450,000 for the museum and the remembrance of those 168 individuals and their families.

I have been to the San Diego Marathon, Austin Marathon, Marine Corps Marathon, San Jose Marathon and know a lot about Boston, Chicago and New York, but I couldn't tell you which organizations they benefit. While the Memorial Marathon is a relatively small race that doesn't offer prize money, doesn't recruit big runners, has poor weather and a course that I couldn't describe as scenic, it is a great race that I'm proud to have been a part of this year. I would love to return to the race course and defend my title next year.