Runners Around the World Show Solidarity with Boston
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Hemera/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Runners around the globe this weekend showed their solidarity with the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing.
At the London Marathon, the first major race since Boston, runners wore black ribbons and observed a moment of silence to honor the victims of the attack before starting on the 26.2-mile course.
One week after she won the wheelchair race in Boston, 23-year-old American Tatyana McFadden also came out on top in London.
“You know this whole weekend was dedicated to Boston and we got huge support from London. So, I couldn’t be happier — just getting support. It was just a wonderful day,” she told BBC News.
In New York’s Central Park, an annual 4-mile race benefiting the City Parks Foundation took on new meaning.
Of the thousands of runners, many sported special bibs and “I Run for Boston” T-shirts that were sold by race organizers with the proceeds benefiting One Fund Boston, the official charity for those affected by the bombing.
In Tallahassee, Fla., approximately 1,000 people are expected to gather on Sunday for a symbolic 5.2-mile run to honor the victims and runners who were sidelined on the Boston Marathon course when twin explosions tore through the finish line.
“We heard a lot of the runners were stopped at the twenty-first mile of the race,” organizer Shannon Colavecchio told ABC News.
“We are going to finish this marathon for everyone,” she said.
Tallahassee also has a special connection to Boston, she said, since many runners participate in the city’s marathon each February, which boasts a flat course, in order to qualify for the race in Boston.
Colavecchio said the proceeds from the event would go to the Boston Red Cross.
Other solidarity runs took place from Vermont to San Francisco earlier in the weekend. A run called “Boston Strong San Diego” was planned for Monday.
“I think this a testament to the fact everybody in the country wants to do something,” Colavecchio said. “We will not be terrorized and we will not stop running.”
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio