So I never actually posted much of a response to the 2013 Boston Marathon, even though I participated in one of the most infamous sports events in recent memory. I'm not really a big fan of rushing to judgment or making quick emotional responses, and in the immediate aftermath of the race every response was bound to be emotional. One year is plenty of time removed from the race, time to gain some perspective on the race itself and aftermath of the race. What are some of the take-aways from the event?
1. Finishing time from last year is irrelevant. After everything that went down, one's finishing time seems wildly insignificant. It just goes to show that there are more important things in the real world than athletic competition.
2a. Boston (and the country, to an extent) rallied around the sports community. We really saw the escapist and healing power of sports. If you've ever wondering why we partake in athletics, we learned why: they put our best qualities on display -- grit, determination, strength, selflessness...
2b. On the other hand, running as a sport somehow was co-opted by Baseball, Basketball, and Hockey. You can thank ESPN for this...all their coverage of the events focuses not on the race itself, or how the running community has responded, but instead on how the events helped the Red Sox win the World Series, or the Bruins and the Celtics improve the end of their season. Check out this piece from Sportscenter (also seen on Outside the Lines) which nominally focuses on the Boston Marathon but is actually all about the Red Sox. Quite frankly, for all those who ran the race, for all those who have ever run the race, and for all those who have ambitions of running the race, co-opting the story to focus on other sports strikes me as crass and insensitive. The real story should be the people who ran, the people who spectated; the wider running community. The real story is the first responders, who ran toward instead of from the blasts. The real story follows the people who didn't finish, or who lost limbs, who are returning in the face of all that adversity. ESPN missed the boat on this one.
3. Should we be concerned about the martial law that shut down the city in the hunt for the Tsarnaev brothers? The killing of one and capture of another is commonly seen as a triumph...but is it? Amid all the cries of, "we got 'em!", the court of public opinion declared them guilty until proven innocent...and if one was killed in the process, so be it. Justice served without justice delivered. What about the tragedy of due process and basic legal and Constitutional proceedings? From the Snowden-NSA revelations to drone strike controversies to armored vehicles parading through empty Boston streets, 2013 saw the rise of the security state and the decline of the Fourth Amendment. Should we be concerned that Boston resembled a war zone? You want to hear another 'guilty until proven innocent' story from someone who actually was innocent (not to mention someone who ironically is a Boston Athletic Association member and had raced the 5k earlier that weekend)? Read this account.
4. It's time to run again. The Boston Marathon is the most storied race in the world...anyone who's ever participated in or spectated or covered the race can assure you that's hardly an exaggeration. It's time we focus on the race again. After all, it's a fantastic race. American athlete and local favorite Shalane Flanagan has a definite shot to win, as does countrywomen Desiree Linden, who placed a surprising second in 2011. Of course, they'll go up against the African contingent. One the men's side, we'll see the return of Ryan Hall (his first full marathon in 2+ years) and Jason Hartmann, who has finished fourth the past Boston's. They're going up against other Americans like Fernando Cabada, while also taking on the Africans, including Ethiopia's defending champ Lelisa Desisa and Kenya's Dennis Kimetto, the defending Chicago marathon champ and holder of one of the fastest marathon times in history. The Boston Athletic Association does a fantastic job of grouping top competitors together on a challenging and tactical course, and this year will be no different.
5. To Riley, Kate, Caitlin (?), and all other 30,000+ participants in this year race: Run fast and kick ass! You bet I'll be watching the race and following all your splits online.
1. Finishing time from last year is irrelevant. After everything that went down, one's finishing time seems wildly insignificant. It just goes to show that there are more important things in the real world than athletic competition.
2a. Boston (and the country, to an extent) rallied around the sports community. We really saw the escapist and healing power of sports. If you've ever wondering why we partake in athletics, we learned why: they put our best qualities on display -- grit, determination, strength, selflessness...
2b. On the other hand, running as a sport somehow was co-opted by Baseball, Basketball, and Hockey. You can thank ESPN for this...all their coverage of the events focuses not on the race itself, or how the running community has responded, but instead on how the events helped the Red Sox win the World Series, or the Bruins and the Celtics improve the end of their season. Check out this piece from Sportscenter (also seen on Outside the Lines) which nominally focuses on the Boston Marathon but is actually all about the Red Sox. Quite frankly, for all those who ran the race, for all those who have ever run the race, and for all those who have ambitions of running the race, co-opting the story to focus on other sports strikes me as crass and insensitive. The real story should be the people who ran, the people who spectated; the wider running community. The real story is the first responders, who ran toward instead of from the blasts. The real story follows the people who didn't finish, or who lost limbs, who are returning in the face of all that adversity. ESPN missed the boat on this one.
3. Should we be concerned about the martial law that shut down the city in the hunt for the Tsarnaev brothers? The killing of one and capture of another is commonly seen as a triumph...but is it? Amid all the cries of, "we got 'em!", the court of public opinion declared them guilty until proven innocent...and if one was killed in the process, so be it. Justice served without justice delivered. What about the tragedy of due process and basic legal and Constitutional proceedings? From the Snowden-NSA revelations to drone strike controversies to armored vehicles parading through empty Boston streets, 2013 saw the rise of the security state and the decline of the Fourth Amendment. Should we be concerned that Boston resembled a war zone? You want to hear another 'guilty until proven innocent' story from someone who actually was innocent (not to mention someone who ironically is a Boston Athletic Association member and had raced the 5k earlier that weekend)? Read this account.
4. It's time to run again. The Boston Marathon is the most storied race in the world...anyone who's ever participated in or spectated or covered the race can assure you that's hardly an exaggeration. It's time we focus on the race again. After all, it's a fantastic race. American athlete and local favorite Shalane Flanagan has a definite shot to win, as does countrywomen Desiree Linden, who placed a surprising second in 2011. Of course, they'll go up against the African contingent. One the men's side, we'll see the return of Ryan Hall (his first full marathon in 2+ years) and Jason Hartmann, who has finished fourth the past Boston's. They're going up against other Americans like Fernando Cabada, while also taking on the Africans, including Ethiopia's defending champ Lelisa Desisa and Kenya's Dennis Kimetto, the defending Chicago marathon champ and holder of one of the fastest marathon times in history. The Boston Athletic Association does a fantastic job of grouping top competitors together on a challenging and tactical course, and this year will be no different.
5. To Riley, Kate, Caitlin (?), and all other 30,000+ participants in this year race: Run fast and kick ass! You bet I'll be watching the race and following all your splits online.
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