Editor’s Note: This is a firsthand account of a Daily reporter’s experience at the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon.
At 6:30 a.m. Sunday, I lined up along Robinson Avenue in Oklahoma City to run my first marathon, the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon. Over the course of the race, just less than 3,000 marathon runners, including myself, crossed the finish line to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the memorial run.
The marathon had a theme of “A Run to Remember” in honor of those who died in the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. Since its inception in 2001, runners from across the nation have gathered on the last Sunday of April to run, to remember and to look to the future, according to its website.
The marathon was created by the marathon president Thomas Hill. In a letter to the marathon program, Hill said he was training for a marathon with a friend and complained about having to go to another state to run. Hill and his friend decided to start the marathon in honor of the memorial.
Having never run in a marathon before, I had no idea what to expect.
The race started with 168 seconds of silence, the quietest I have ever heard Oklahoma City. Once the starting gun went off, the streets were packed with a wall of runners, many of whom had bibs on their backs with names of specific people who died that morning in April 1995.
The race would not have been possible without all the volunteers, with their wide smiles greeting us every few yards. These people directed traffic, cheered us on, gave out multiple high fives and generally kept the spirits high all morning for the runners.
Because I am originally from Texas, I did not know much about the Oklahoma City bombing or the memorial. I really just signed up for the marathon because it fit my schedule and my current location. However, the marathon was a truly unique way to experience the city and its enduring spirit. It was a new, firsthand way to learn about how much the city cares and wants to remember but move forward at the same time. I already want to do it again sometime in the future.
The event was not limited to the full marathon. Other runs included a half-marathon, a five kilometer fun run and a kids’ marathon around the last block of the marathon course, according to the marathon program.
This year’s full marathon winners were Josh Stewart and Catherine Listle, who sprinted to the finish, overcoming the second place runner by a second to win the marathon and break the women’s course record with a time of 2:54:22. Coming in second for the women’s course was Jennifer Graef of Norman, who won the race in 2008.
Winning the half marathon were Eric Harris and Joan Benoit Samuelson, with times of 1:08:17 and 1:23:50, respectively.
The marathon, which is 26.2 miles, began at the Oklahoma City National Monument and Memorial, went north to Lake Hefner, then headed south to end at the Monument and Memorial.
For more information, visit okcmarathon.com.
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eightbitgirl 2 years, 1 month ago
You both can't read. The run started in 2001, and this is the tenth inception. It's right there in the damn article.
TheTroll 2 years, 1 month ago
"...to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the memorial run."
MEGA FAIL
This is the 15th anniversary.
mavsfan31 2 years, 1 month ago
No sir, I believe you fail.
The run has been going on since 2000, making this the 10th anniversary.