Just about every one of the hundreds of posts on this blog has been about intellectual property. Today’s post is different.
Last week, I ran my first marathon. The Boston Marathon! I received a spot in the race – the most iconic road race in the world – by raising funds for the emergency department at Boston Medical Center. Together, the BMC team (105 of us) raised over $1 million dollars for a great cause!
The weekend in Boston leading up to the marathon last Monday was remarkable. We recalled the horrors of last year’s marathon, honored those who lost their lives, cherished the victims who have shown great courage, and celebrated all that is great about Boston and its people.
Over the weekend, I was honored that I had the chance to meet several of the injured from last year’s bombings as well as marathon legends Dick and Rick Hoyt, who are a tremendous inspiration.
And the race itself was incredible. The energy among the runners was fabulous. I ran alongside many who raised money for all kinds of causes and to honor the victims from the bombings. I ran alongside police, firemen, and military. We were all on the same team, soaking up the experience and trying to go 26.2 miles on our feet in one piece. The energy from the crowd was even stronger. Receiving cheers and high fives from strangers was exhilarating. Receiving them from my kids and family was amazing. Knowing how many people had supported my journey to get to the marathon made the whole day even more special.
I reached my goal for the race — to finish and to do so without walking at all! My time (5 hours, 24 minutes) wasn’t really important to me — what was important was to be a part of a great sporting and community event and a day that Bostonians will remember for a long time. It was certainly a weekend that I will never forget.
– Erik Pelton
