Akwesasne Represented in OKC Marathon

It was a beautiful cool morning for nearly 25,000 runners at the 2013 Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon. Among those runners were four people from Akwesasne, Ellen Cook, her seven-year-old son Brandon Cook, Julie White and myself. Brandon ran the Kids One Mile Fun Run and placed fourth out of 250 plus children. Julie and Ellen completed the 5K while I ran the half marathon. My sister and Ellen and Julies’ mother, Martha Cook, accompanied us on the trip to cheer us on and to visit with our other sister, Sarah Garrow Brown, who resides in OKC.

The Oklahoma City Marathon was started 13 years ago as a tribute to the victims, family members and survivors of the 1995 bombing or the Murrah Federal Building. One hundred and sixty-eight people died from the bombing including 19 children from the daycare housed in the Federal Building. The marathon is not only a remembrance run, but also a fundraiser for the Oklahoma National Memorial.

The security for the marathon was a top priority for race organizers. There were many law enforcement officials along the course, some with bomb-detecting dogs and helicopters patrolling from above. I never felt any concern or fear leading up to or during the run.

The start of the race was a somber experience as the start line was near the Memorial. It was still dawn when I walked past the 168 big and little chairs representing the victims of the bombing. The bases of the chairs were lit up as an everlasting reminder, and seeing this triggered emotions right from the start. Before the run, which started at 6:30 am, there were 171 seconds of silence, 168 for each life lost in the Oklahoma bombing, plus three more seconds for the lives lost at Boston. Many runners wore red socks to show support for the Boston victims as well as green shoelaces for Oklahoma City.

It was party time along the course as throngs of Oklahomans and family members crowded the streets to cheer and encourage runners. It didn’t matter if they knew me or not, they would clap and say “you’re doing good, keep going.” One hill on the course was named “Gorilla Hill,” there were people dressed in gorilla and banana costumes clapping and cheering as runners passed. There were spectators blaring music such as “The Eye of the Tiger,” “Chariots of Fire” and other upbeat songs. Others held up signs that read, “go random stranger go” and “may the course be with you.” The volunteers were wonderful to give up their time to hand out water, snacks and medals to runners.

Not too long after I started my half marathon run, I came upon a troop of 23 Fire Fighters. They were walking the half marathon wearing more than 60 pounds of gear. Runners were patting these men on the back and thanking them as they ran by.

The finish line had a special meaning to everyone. To some it is the blessed end. To others, the line stood in between them and a personal best record. For many, the thoughts of Boston crossed their mind as 10 runners who could not finish their run at Boston, finished the Oklahoma marathon. They were given a free entry to finish what they couldn’t in Boston. One man who finished in Oklahoma was only 300 yards away from the Boston finish when the first bomb went off. One woman ran the marathon for the first time last year in a time of six and a half hours. This was the same amount of time that she was buried under the Federal Building rubble 18 years ago. She ran the half marathon this year.

While there are really no words to express the feelings of numbness and chills towards this tragedy that has prompted this marathon event, I am glad to have been part of it. I am in awe of the human spirit and its will to go on. Whenever tragedy strikes, we see horror and destruction but we also see heroes emerge and we find the qualities that make us strong and pull us together. It is a reminder that the world is full of people who do a lot more good than evil.