Why do we marathon?

"We are here to be heroes. The marathon is the one way we prove it to ourselves." -- GEORGE SHEEHAN

It seemed appropriate that I would get this quote in my inbox the day after I signed up to run the OKC Memorial Marathon, a marathon that is dedicated to remembering those heroes who lost their lives on April 19, 1995. Although I was only 14 at the time of the Oklahoma City bombing, I remember very clearly the feeling of shock and horror that so many lives could be taken away instantly in a senseless act of violence. I've had the opportunity in recent years to visit the OKC Memorial a few times, and if any of you ever have the opportunity to go, you must. It is one of the most moving, touching, extraordinary memorials that I have ever visited.

I think that the description of the OKC Memorial Marathon from the OKC Memorial Marathon website, www.okcmarathon.com , goes hand-in-hand with the quote above:

"On April 19, 1995, a great wrong was done in Oklahoma City. However, on this day in April the forces of fear and hate were beaten by love and compassion.

The Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon is a race that is not about running—it is about life. 168 banners line the marathon course, one for each victim. Those banners serve to remind us as we run that we have been given the gift of life and that it is too precious to waste.

This is what the Memorial Marathon is about: realizing the preciousness of time, valuing one another, taking life as it comes and making something magic from it. Celebrating Life.

You don’t have to be a runner to participate in the Memorial Marathon. All you have to do is change the world you live in one moment, one opportunity, one person at a time.

It is not about running—it is about living."