Last year, the Boston Marathon and the city of Boston were victims of a horrible bombing attack that killed three and injured more than 250 people. It was an incredible shock to a group of athletes, most of whom had trained for years for the race, and a city that prides itself on holding the world’s most prestigious marathon. On April 21, at the start of this year’s Boston Marathon, the announcer began the race with a call to the participants to “Take back that finish line!” The 36,000 runners, and the untold thousands of supporters who lined the 26-mile racecourse, proceeded to do just that. Several Tahoe area runners were given the opportunity to be a part of this event, which ended up inspiring a city and a nation.
This year’s Boston Marathon was the 26th marathon for longtime Tahoe local Missy Sandeman. While she’s run a number of marathons, this was the first time Sandeman was not focused on being competitive. Instead, her focus was on just being a part of this historic event.
“It was so incredible. I was just enjoying the crowds. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced,” she said. “The crowds and support and love that was in the air was just phenomenal.”
While she was part of a group that had made plans to do the 2014 Boston Marathon well before last year’s attack, Sandeman said the bombing didn’t deter her a bit.
“I wasn’t nervous,” she said. “I was excited to be a part of the celebration.”
Whether it was the stream of encouraging and funny signs she saw along the route such as “Go random stranger, go” and “I don’t even know you but am so proud of you,” or the constant slapping of hands with joyous fans, Sandeman found the entire race to be inspiring, but she was especially touched when she passed a 70-year-old runner pushing his 40-year-old son in a wheelchair.
When Moonshine Ink reached local 56-year-old running phenom Jackie Clark on the phone just a few days after the race, she was out for a run. Clark did Tahoe proud by finishing in three hours and 18 minutes, garnering an extremely impressive eighth place in her age group. While she has competed in 13 marathons and four ultra-marathons, this was Clark’s first time in the Boston Marathon. Like Sandeman, she said the support of the crowd was unbelievable.
“You could barely hear yourself think because they were so loud,” she said.
Clark was especially inspired by the hundreds of racers wearing shirts emblazoned with the slogan “MR8” in support of Martin Richard, the 8-year-old boy who was killed in last year’s bombing.
“The most emotional part of the race was when you passed by where the bomb went off … it takes your breath away,” Clark said.
Other Tahoe area locals who participated in this year’s Boston Marathon included Victor Heredia from Incline Village, Donna Collignon of Tahoe City, and 74-year-old Mats Ofverberg from Truckee.
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