The Day I Regained all Hope for Humanity

Last November I had one of the most special moments of my life when I decided to run the New York Marathon. Leading up to the event I had been reading on the internet about what it takes to train for a marathon and it was daunting. Running multiple miles per day, several runs between 5 and 12 miles. I realized quickly that I was not too excited about this training schedule. 

Prior to running the marathon I had never ran more than 3 miles at a time. Minus once when I got in trouble my sophomore year on the high school baseball team. I showed up late for curfew on our team trip to St. George because I was kissing my girlfriend and coach was not happy. The next day at practice he told me to start running and said, “Don’t stop til I tell you to.” 

Long story short, coach forgot about me and after about 45 minutes of sprinting around the field praying I wouldn’t get cut, coach called me in. I passed the test even if it meant multiple times throwing up in left field. 

But I am no runner. If I lived in prehistoric times they would have me lift boulders. That is what my body shape is built for. Yet for some reason I had the bright idea to run a marathon last year. I assumed it would force me to get into shape and therefore it was a perfect fitness goal. I learned that anyone can sign up for the New York Marathon as long as you pay several thousand dollars to their charity. This seemed like the perfect way to commit myself months in advance. As the months passed life happened and I kept putting off the training. Finally, about a month before the marathon Idecided I better start finishing each of my workouts with a 1-2 mile run. This is what I did and how I prepared for 26.2 miles. Yet, in the month of my training the longest I had ran at any one time was just over 3 miles. 

The day before the marathon I met up with a friend of mine that lives in New Jersey as he came across the bridge to celebrate my last big meal prior to the race. The first thing he said to me was, “Bro, you don’t look like you are ready to run a marathon.. I expected you to be in shape.” The entire meal he kept laughing cause I honestly thought I could finish a marathon without any training. 

The day of the marathon had a slight rain for most of the day. I’ll save you the drama and let you know that I finished. I finished in 5 hours and 8 minutes, almost a full hour ahead of my pre-race goal. I finished because I said I would and because the heart and the mind are stronger then the body. But I also finished for a reason that had nothing to do with me. I believe the number main reason I was able to accomplish that goal, even having little to no previous training, was because it was in New York. 

17 years ago today the twin towers were attacked by Osama Bin Laden in New York City and 2,977 innocent victims were killed. There were 19 more deaths by the hijackers but we won’t count them. The attacks were designed to cripple the country and instill fear into Americans. What it did instead was unite the country and bring a humanness to every single interaction that we as people had with our neighbors, co-workers, and complete strangers. 

I remember when 9-11 first happened and how on T.V. we would hear a lot about the “spirit of New York” and how it was special there. How the attacks would just unite the city and bring them all closer than ever. I never fully understood this til last year when I ran my marathon. 

There I was, one of 55,000 strangers running a marathon in the chilly November rain through all 5 boroughs of New York. Along the way I couldn’t believe what I saw, for 26.2 miles there wasn’t more than a handful of times you couldn’t look to the right or left and see the streets lined up 3 people deep with complete strangers. Strangers that had given up their warm houses and apartments on a Sunday afternoon to come out and cheer us on, to see us achieve a goal that we had all set out for ourselves. 

? At mile 3 I was already tired. 

? At mile 5 a small Italian boy started running beside me to offer me his Halloween candy.

? At mile 7 I saw an entire Sunday School of jewish boys, they had lined their street block and they were cheering us on in their yamackas. 

? At mile 10 I noticed for the first time the 100’s of volunteers setting up water and Gatorade at every mile marker. 

? At mile 12 an entire block in Queens had been roped off and 100’s of black teens were doing special rap battles and dances for the runners entertainment. 

? At mile 16 a huge family of Puerto Ricans was barbecuing and offering carne asada and pollo to the runners. 

? At mile 19 I saw runners with their own personal goals stopping to pace another stranger and to give them a hand. 

? At mile 22 I myself wanted to quit but I looked over and noticed a little 3 year old girl trying desperately to give me a high five. For the moment I was her hope for that day. 

? At mile 24 I entered Central Park and tears started running down my face as more and more strangers held up signs to “finish strong” and a gay man yelled to me, “You are almost home! Keep fighting!” 

? At mile 26 my nipples were bleeding, my thighs were chaffed, my legs were rubber, my feet were yelling to stop… But the spirit of New York was in my heart and I had never felt better in my entire life. I had just witnessed the best of humanity in all its forms. I witnessed more beauty in that 5 hour stretch than most will experience in a life time. I will never again question the goodness of people or the goodness of God because I saw it that day and it was one of the strongest feelings of my life. 

Thank you New York. 

This day we honor you and the 2,977 whose deaths brought all of us to our knees and reminded us that sometimes, that is the best place to start.