Hundreds of people gathered for vigils in Boston Tuesday night to remember the victims and show solidarity with those hurt in the bombing attack on the city’s marathon.
MyFoxBoston.com reports that several hundred people turned out on the Boston Commonand wrote messages of peace and love on a large sign declaring, “Boston, you’re our home.”
Participants sang songs including “Amazing Grace” and “The Star-Spangled Banner” and lit candles one day after three people were killed and more than 170 people were injured in the bombings near the end of the race on Monday.
Northeastern University student Scott Turner hugged friends, wept and prayed at the vigil. He said the people of Boston would not be afraid and would respond by showing peace and supporting one another.
There was also a heavy military presence on the Common with dozens of National Guard troops.
Hundreds also turned out for a vigil for the family of Martin Richard, the 8-year-old boy who was killed in one of the explosions at the end of the marathon as he cheered runners completing the race, according to MyFoxBoston.com.
Meanwhile, distance runners all over the country banded together Tuesday by putting on their shoes and going for a jog to honor the victims and deal with their own emotions.
The Twitter hashtag “runforboston” turned into a virtual meeting spot for a steady, somber stream of social media users eager to show solidarity with those hurt in the blasts — along with pride in their sport — by pounding the pavement, even for just a few miles.
Some Boston College students used Facebook to plan a walk of the marathon’s last five miles Friday afternoon “to stand united” with runners who didn’t finish, bystanders who were injured and those who lost their lives.
“We will walk to show that we decide when our marathon ends,” the invitation read. As of mid-afternoon on Tuesday, more than 12,000 people clicked on “join” to signal their participation.
Mike Ewoldt, the co-owner of a running equipment store based in Omaha, Neb., had previously organized an informal run for Tuesday evening to test a new shoe brand. He shifted gears to turn the event into a memorial for the victims.
“Everybody looks at Boston as the pinnacle of running. First, you have to qualify and meet a standard to get to Boston. If you qualify, you have two years to run it. It is a one-time shot for a lot of them. They may never get this opportunity again,” Ewoldt said.
Ewoldt, like many in the massive community that is distance running, wanted to show he cared.
No other sport is so available to the public, with a good pair of shoes and a positive attitude all that’s needed to take part. Though the elites from Ethiopia and Kenya compete for big money in the most famous of the marathons, clicking off 5-minute miles, average athletes of all ages, backgrounds and sizes are behind them on the course running the very same race.
Then there are the tens of thousands of family members and friends who pack
From: http://feeds.foxnews.com/~r/foxnews/national/~3/1NTrhJKyE7E/
