The Marathon that almost wasn’t, with a community that definitely was.

On the 15th of October, the Marine Corps Marathon released the following:

Dear Runners,

Since the government shutdown occurred, the Marine Corps Marathon continues its coordination with hopes of a conclusion in time to host the event without impact. Without a resolution to the government shutdown this week, the MCM as planned is in jeopardy of being cancelled.

While still considering and exploring all possible options, the MCM has targeted this Saturday, October 19 as the date to officially notify runners of the status of the event. It is sincerely the hope of everyone associated with the organization of this event that MCM participants can run as planned.

Like everyone else, the idea that the Marine Corps Marathon would be cancelled was devastating.

In October of 2001, after the worst terrorist attack that this country has ever known, The Marine Corps Marathon went on.

The runners ran by the damage done by people who hated our country.  Fear could not stop the runners.

After the Boston Bombing –

We all swore we were Boston Strong, and that we would not be stopped.

Yet, what fear could not stop, it seemed that Grown Adults acting like children – could.

Now, I’m certainly not here to blame any one party or the other.  I am just observing that what terrorists couldn’t accomplish – Keeping us from doing what we loved, and living our lives as we had here in America, 535 people in one building – did, as races were cancelled across the country.  As people were unable to go to work.  As peopple were unable to enjoy our nation’s greatest treasures – our national parks.

I stayed up last night.  The Headlines on CNN were regarding a Senate deal, that the house leadership said they were not going to block.

While the Marine Corps Marathon has not issued a release yet, this is leading those that are planning on running it – to believe that they will be running it.   All those months (years) of training were NOT in vain!

But there were some good things that came from this, in regards to the Marine Corps Marathon as well.   While the outrage and shock was felt throughout the running community, I want to make sure the support was as well.  Many people travel from all over the world to run this, the people’s marathon.

Myself, and many others decided – if it was the people’s marathon – than we were going to run it anyway.   To my knowledge there were three groups organizing protest runs that day.  Some wanted to run the Marine Corps Marathon Course (I was one of these), despite the risks of being arrested from running through the closed monuments, and the danger of running the route without the race organizer’s protection.

The People’s Protest Marathon was the first of the groups I found.  Some Great conversations went on, within the hour of the potential cancellation being spoken of.  We had people planning on a protest run around the mall.  We had people planning on circling congress.  We had people wanting to run the route.

We started trying to organize based on what people wanted to do – I posted the one above.  I have looked forward to running this race for three years.  I have trained like hell this year, and avoided injuries (unlike the last two years) that would keep me out of it.  I was running and representing an incredible organization, and helping people who need it. People that have no hope, and VOA helps to bring that back to them.   I was going to be on that starting line, whether it was a starting line – or just a spot in a road.

The best part? I wasn’t going to be alone.

On top of these 43 commenters, The Marine Corps Marathon Facebook page had HUNDREDS of people that were planning on being there.

It seems, that maybe – with a shutdown, the government could stop the official Marine Corps Marathon.  Yet, despite that – I believe that the Marine Corps Marathon WOULD have gone on.  We might have had hundreds instead of thousands.  We might have been carrying our own water and stopping at stores to refill.  Hotdogs from Vendors instead of GUs.  High-Fives instead of Medals.

But I think that once again that as runners and marathoners, we showed – We can’t be stopped.

You know? I am looking forward to running with my 30,000 fellow runners in an official marathon.  I will enjoy it more, knowing that nothing was going to stop us.

Semper Fi.

About Robinson

I run, because I am a runner. Having realized that I have always "been a runner" - even when I went years with out running, I am learning how it has integrated itself in all aspects of my life. When I started running in highschool, my perspective on life changed. Funny that I didn't realize how much it had affected it until just recently.