Coast-To-Coast Relay For One Fund Arrives In Boston
BOSTON (CBS/AP) – With their arms lifted high, runners and survivors taking part in the One Run for Boston crossed the finish line together.
There were tears, hugs, chants and dancing.
More than 2,000 runners ran 3,328 miles in the One Run for Boston. They raised more than $430,000 for the One Fund, which supports people who were directly affected by the bombings last year.
Marathon bombing survivor John Odom from California was there when the race began in Santa Monica, March 16.
"Oh so heartwarming to be able to see this," he said.
The journey took relay runners through 14 states. An organizer said runners raced through deserts and survived tornadoes and were upbeat as they neared the finish line.
On the relay, runners also visited the 9/11 memorial in New York and a memorial for victims of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.
After arriving in Hopkinton, the runners followed the entire Boston Marathon route and were joined for the final leg by marathon survivors who finished with them.
Jennifer Lemmerman, sister of MIT police Officer Sean Collier who was shot and killed just days after the bombings, took part.
"This was something that I just really wanted to do for him because I think it's something that if he were here he would be doing," she said.
(TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
MORE LOCAL NEWS FROM CBS BOSTON