Final Thoughts on the Tunnel to Towers Run/Walk --------- Looking back on the events that transpired last Sunday at T2T, i have never been more awestruck in my life. i thought i had seen and done it all, being a native New Yorker.... 5 NYC marathons, Boston Marathon, played football before hundreds, Worlds Fair, DisneyWorld, etc. etc, but never anything this patriotic and of this magnitude for such an extended period of time. The logistics of this event and the seamless fluidity that the Siller family achieved is nothing short of miraculous. i was honored to be a finish line official and this year promoted to co announcer at the finish, calling out names and groups and encouraging them through. Sounds easy enough. That is what i do.But for the greater part of the race i was speechless {a rare occurrence for me}Watching the hundreds of Wounded Warriors, servicemen and women from all branches, Firefighters from all over the tri-state area running in the now legendary footsteps of Stephen Siller in full gear on a hot day {weighing as much as 70lbs.} ,as he did that fateful morning left a lump in my throat that was silencing. I made eye contact with the gentleman above, the double amputee who also lost his right arm and had tears streaming down his face the whole way,waved to me and smiled. What do you say to this ? Great Job ? Thanks for your service ? pitifully inadequate to the point of being insulting. you just look on in awe...The mountains of food and drink running the length of Vesey St. that all got devoured. SouthSide Johnny playing his heart out and then the Piece de resistace ; Rolling Thunder.. the army marching band with 343 American flags being paraded up the west side from Ground Zero to the platform on Vesey. No better way to honor that rare breed of person who, when seeing trouble, runs toward it, not away, risking all for the safety of so many !There are no words to do this justice, and only the running community could have banded together in this display of solidarity and patriotism.30,000 runners and walkers !!!running as one !!! Mind boggling !! thats why running is the greatest sport.We are a group larger by far than the sum of our parts, and we are always there for each other. i am proud to be a part of this community, proud to be a friend to the Siller family and proud to be an American .God bless the USA !! thanks for reading
Posted on: Wed, 01 Oct 2014 22:47:19 +0000
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