Doug Boles, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Chief Operating Officer, said that last month’s tragedy still resonates with everyone. Hence, they wanted to give runners the chance to finish the race in front of thousands of fans. Runners living near Indianapolis were invited to run the race unto completion by the Boston Athletic Association.
Kimberly Grauer (32), one of the runners from Schaumburg, ran with a U.S. flag in her hands, softly crying to the chants of “USA.” She stated that this was a great way of giving them a closure after the deadly Boston incidence. Similarly, Jennifer Black (61) from Loveland, Ohio, said that tears welled in her eyes, when she saw her husband waving to her from the fourth turn of the track. She was wearing her Boston numerical marker with “21015” written on it pinned to her running jersey and brought back the memory of medics were rushing to aid a runner suffering a heart attack after the bomb blasts. She said that at that time she was scared that her sister, former Representative Jean Schmidt, R-Ohio, might have been injured, but she was fortunately saved. At the completion of the race at Speedway, she was glad to be greeted by Schmidt. This time more relaxed than before.
Lelisa Desist (24) from Ethiopia, won the marathon in 2 hours 10 minutes 22 seconds last month, shortly before the bombs went off. In a somber ceremony at the American Embassy in Ethiopia this, he said, “Sport holds the power to unify people and sports should never be used as a battleground.” He has donated his medal to the people of Boston and showed interest in participating once again at the 2014 Boston Marathon.
Geber Gebremariam, who finished at the third place in the men’s category and Meseret Hailu, who finished second in the women’s category were also at the ceremony presided by the Secretary of State John Kerry.