Local Runners Honor Boston Marathon Victims With Impromptu Marathon In Santa Monica
SANTA MONICA (CBSLA.com) — A Southland running group is responding to the Boston Marathon bombings by lacing up their running shoes.
The LA Speed Project Wednesday joined "Run For Boston", a nationwide movement to get out and jog Wednesday in of honor the three people killed and the more than 170 others injured when two bombs exploded near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on Monday.
"We are wanting people across the country, across the world, to put on their clothes, yellow and blue if they have it in honor of the Boston Marathon, and just go out and run," organizer Chris Field told KNX 1070 NEWSRADIO.
Santa Monica Run
The "Run for Boston" event was made public on Facebook at 9 a.m. Tuesday with more than 10,000 people anticipated to participate nationwide throughout the day.
"This is what runners do. This is what Americans do. We get knocked down and we get back up and do even better than we did it before," Field said.
The LA Speed Project's impromptu marathon kicked off at 6 a.m. Wednesday at the Santa Monica Pier with a moment of silence. It extends seven miles out before looping back through the city for a total of 26.2 miles.
"We all had the same thing in mind, I think," local organizer Blue Benadum said.
Several of the group's members participated in the Boston Marathon and were not injured.
"Its just heartbreaking to know we had just been there half an hour before," one Boston Marathoner said.
More than 170 local athletes from casual runners to marathoners were expected to hit the pavement.
