Gratitude

Act one:

http://youtu.be/xHYCClSGnfo?list=UUHxGvauB2-_J1qvR_oDobeg

A speech for the New York City Marathon

ASICS_TeamThank you ASICS, thank you New York Road Runners.  Thank you for inviting me to run the New York City Marathon.  I am elated and humbled to be your guest for this great event.  This marathon is a crown jewel, a shining star in the firmament of our sport.

It’s so cool for me to get to meet and talk to the other bloggers and the elites like Ryan Hall and Andy Potts and Deena Kastor – and when I say talk I mean we actually talk like old friends because we are talking about the races we love and the things we do for this, the most human of sports, running.

I come to you from a faraway and strange land…where cold weather tribes give the land mysterious names like Harvard, Worcester and Boston.

We have our runners up there, we have our marathon, and I admit we’re a proud lot.  In that, I don’t think we are different.  I look out here and I don’t see others.  I see members of my tribe.  I see other members of my long distance running community.

And I see friends and I see members of my running family.

Because we are all members of the same family.  We have a community and friendship and family that cuts across geographic lines.  We are part of the universal running community. From the elites at the front to the journeymen (and women) bringing up the back of the pack – we share a kinship – a kinship built on miles and kilometers over roads and trails with our feet and our grit and our heart and souls.

We are strong.  We are Boston Strong. We are New York Strong. We run for life.

When we gather together in our masses on Staten Island on Sunday we become Greek gods and warriors.  Nothing and no-one can take that away from us, from you…

We are indestructible.

 

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published.