Sunday morning, Bev and the other 37,000 runners prepared to begin their 26.2 miles. I was with the video crew, attempting to capture the team as they ran by.
Easier said than done.
37,000 people is a LOT of people! We first set up at mile 6, and I was right on the road next to the water station taking video. First came the elite women, then the elite men and women in wheelchairs, and then the elite men. After that, the masses came. And came. And came. The road became more and more crowded with runners.
I would say that 90% of the runners were running for a cause, like Bev and her team for Samaritan's Purse. It was really inspiring to see all of the reasons/causes/charities on their jerseys, photos on their backs in memory of, and costumes representing their cause! I will admit, I was teary quite a few times, seeing the causes and thinking of how that runner came to the point of choosing that cause. Many cancer causes, many clean water needs, etc. Very inspiring to see!
After I watched all 37,000 participants pass by me (and still didnt see Bev), including the marching band that was marching and playing all 26.2 miles, we headed off for mile 25!
Now, as you can imagine, mile 25 was PACKED even more because it is basically where Big Ben and the Parliament buildings are.. needless to say we didn't get very far at this point!
literally the next hour and a half was spent by Alan and I attempting to get to the finish line. The last .2 miles of the race have grandstands, in which you have to have a pass to enter. We had passes, but fighting the crowds to get there with all of our equipment was something else!
Finally made it to the grandstands, wiggled my way up to the fence, and waited.... and searched... and scanned... still no Bev! I did see three other SP runners run by, but by this time I knew I had either JUST missed Bev go by and finish, or something had gone wrong and she was way over her time. Finally we got a phone call saying that all of the runners had reached our meeting point, after the finish line.
Alan and I started off in that direction and only saw the crowds grow even more! They had this massive area sectioned off by alphabet letters, and of course "S" was about as far down as "Z!" I reached our section and was scanning the crowd for Bev- there she was, sitting on the grass, covered in her red tin foil blanket, looking defeated.
My heart sank.
I had seen Bev run day after day, no matter the temperature preparing for this race.
I had watched her plan her runs so carefully.
I had been there to hear how passionate she is about the CLP and WASH projects she was running for.
To see her on the ground meant that something went wrong. I quickly got to her and her tears started to flow- "Jo, I did so bad. I was in sooooo much pain. My hips... "
I couldn't imagine the pain she was in physically. To run 26.2 miles alone would be one thing. To run 16, then an additional 10.2 in extreme pain is another.
I told her that she finished, and that is what mattered. It doesn't matter that she didn't make her time. What matters most is the difference she is making and will continue to make in hundreds if not thousands of Liberians lives because she ran this event.
She ran with purpose. That is why she was able to finish, regardless of her pain.
It was a long day, that marathon day. All six runner finished, regardless of any of their injuries. But man, am I proud of what Bev and the SP team accomplished.
And in my book, I would call it a complete success.
