Fits for a Cause: All in for Boston

By Cool J in Minneapolis

This morning, a few of my friends and I participated in "All in for Boston", a fundraising run for those affected by the bombings at the Boston Marathon.

"A run in honor and in memory of all those affected by the tragedy that took place during the 2013 Boston Marathon.

Come run/walk for any or all of 4 hours, 09 minutes and 43 seconds. Water, gatorade, snacks will be provided on the course. You can come at anytime during the event, you do not need to be present at 10:40am to come and participate. For anyone in attendance at 2:49:43pm we will observe a moment of silence at the finish line.

The course is contained within Veteran's Park which has a 1.5 mile loop, we will have our race clock up to show the current "race time." 

The donation box is filling up quickly!

The three of us were not prepared to run for the full four hours and nine minutes, but we were still able to participate and show our support for the cause. We carpooled over to Richfield, where the event was taking place, added our donations to the pot, and then took off to run the 1.5 mile loop three times. It was a nice little loop through a scenic park.

After our third time, we decided to walk the loop a fourth time, and that was probably my favorite loop! Other than walking with Matilda, I rarely just walk with my running friends, so it was nice to just chat and enjoy the sun and warmth. 

Ready for an enjoyable sunny run for a good cause!

The event itself was very well organized by a company called "UpTempo Race Management." There was water and powerade at the start/finish, and bananas and other goodies available as well. 

The finish line

The course was clearly marked; in fact, they marked it with Boston landmarks: the Citgo symbol, Bolyston street, Heartbreak Hill, etc. There was a large banner for runners to sign that would be sent with the donated funds to the OneFund. It was all very nicely done. 

Signing the banner and pinning on our blue/gold ribbons

Kelly is the only one of us who has run Boston in the past, so she was able to wear her race gear to honor the cause. Looking good!

Maybe someday I'll have something blue/gold to wear too! Instead, I wore my favorite "I RUN THIS BODY" t-shirt, moving comfort shorts, Brooks Ravennas, and a JCrew hoodie (the hoodie is from yesterday's swap!)

I am glad that Theresa suggested that we participate in this run. I always enjoy some easy miles with friends, but I am also glad to have been able to participate in something for this cause that hits so close to home for so many of us. I'm not sure yet how many people participated or how much money was raised, but it seemed like the course was busy the whole time we were there, so I hope it was a success!

Way to go UpTempo Race Management on organizing such a great event for the running community to come together for this meaningful cause.