Silent Statement of Solidarity from Atlanta to Boston

Just more than 16 hours after the senseless and horrific tragedy at Monday’s Boston Marathon, almost 300 Atlanta runners gathered early Tuesday morning at Big Peach Running Co. locations across the metro area for a time to embrace each other and embrace those in Boston, too.

The Patriots’ Day bombings were a gruesome attack that was intended to kill and inflict serious injury with metal fragments including nails ripping apart innocent victims. Details continue to come in, but three have died and more than 170 were injured by the explosions that left the finish line of the marathon of marathons a scene of blood and smoke and fear and chaos and thankfully heroes.

Trish Reske did manage to finish her 10th Boston Marathon on Monday and she writes at Fenway-Kenmore Patch:

“What a terrible tragedy – for those directly affected, their families, the running community, and the Boston Marathon, whose 125-year legacy never should have to include something like this. The Boston Marathon is an internationally acclaimed event that celebrates the essence of the human spirit to overcome, to achieve a long-sought dream, or in the case of many charity runners – to help change our world for the better." 

At seven Big Peach stores, a simultaneous Mile of Silence was held at 7 a.m. Tuesday with approximately 75 participating in Midtown. Suwanee (45 runners), Decatur (40), and Kennesaw (35) also saw caring turnouts from runners in a show of solidarity for country and sport and of love for fellow humans.

There were some tears, and some expressions of anger, but mostly the early morning air was occupied by silence and reflection as the Midtown runners made the northward trek from 6th Street to 14th and back. There was a brief time for prayer and reflection before the quiet trot, and the event quickly concluded after the run with a sentiment of hope and tribute.

When it was done, Conn Jackson of Vinings, whose shirted depicted the red white and blue of Old Glory, said, “Three words resonated with me throughout the run - ‘solidarity, love and togetherness.’ We’re a nation who stands together. We face fear and the only way to do that is to come together and show support.”

Karen Kaye of Big Peach and 11Alive's Julie Wolfe helped coordinate the event. Kaye said she persionally knew a dozen runners who competed Monday in Boston, all who escaped harm.

“This is a pretty emotional day for all of us; I’ve been choking back all morning,” she said. Recognizing the support of the Atlanta running community was displaying, but admitting, “everyone felt this,” Kaye refuted the notion of being intimidated by whomever is responsible for the attack. “Whoever did this clearly had an agenda and wanted as much publicity as possible. I hate that it’s happened. We should always be cautious and safe in what we do and where we go, but we should not be afraid to do it.”

Did you attend this morning's run? Now a day later, in what way if any have the bombings affected you?  Do tragedies such as what happened in Boston on Monday make you fearful to be in public spaces?

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