EDMONTON- Members of a local running club took a moment to honour the victims of Monday’s Boston Marathon bombings.
Runners gathered at the Garneau Running Room Wednesday evening, to show their respect by participating in a moment of silence, followed by a group run.
It’s a tradition for Edmontonians who ran the marathon to take part in the public run, wearing their medals and jackets. Participants say they were shocked and angered by the devastation in Boston, and they felt they had to do something to honour the victims and their families.
“I think it’s part of the healing process for everybody, not just the folks that were in Boston, but also for people who are just fearful,” said John Stanton, Founder of the Running Room. “Because they’re wondering, maybe I’ll run on my own, maybe I won’t run where there’s groups, or maybe I won’t run in a race any more, and for them I think it’s a message that oh no, I’m not going to miss that, I’m not going to miss that social environment.”
“When something like this happens you really see the community come together,” said Dennene Huntley, a Boston Marathon runner. “It’s exactly what the running community needs.”
Participants say the run is also about coming back together as a running community.
“Even when something so horrible happens like this, we all have to realize that we’re all runners, we’re all here for one purpose of being out there and enjoying a run,” said Kevin Higa, Chief Financial Officer of the Running Room. “We’re here. Let’s ensure that these people who did these horrible events aren’t going to win by us not participating again and into the future.”
“We’re not going to allow our streets to be taken over, we’re not going to allow our races to be taken over,” Stanton added.
Around 100 people took part in the run, which was just one of the public runs held by Running Rooms across the country Wednesday evening.
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