In 2013, people around the country watched on in horror as bombs exploded near the end of the Boston Marathon, injuring 264 civilians. The Boston bombings cast a dark, depressing pathos over the city, but in the three years since, the popular, reinvigorating hashtag #BostonStrong has lived up to its name.
On Monday, the 2016 Boston Marathon showed once again how sports can bring out the best in people and prove that there still is good in the world. Throughout the day, we saw runners helping runners, medics rushing to treat injured competitors and police officers serving to assist whenever and wherever they were needed. Selflessness infected entire waves of the marathon's 30,000 participants.
At its root, sports in general and marathons in particular provide us with proof that in the literal heat of a moment, humans can still want to be kind, loving and willing to look out for one another. Today's Boston Marathon was just the latest reminder of that, but rest assured it won't be the last, either.
1. These two men helped an exhausted runner pass the finish line
2. As did this man
3. These two men helped along a man who was suffering from severe cramping
4. This man wanted to finish first and then receive medical attention
5. While these two buddies just kept it moving
6. And this fallen runner kept fighting to the finish line after a police officer checked on her
7. This man just really, really needed somebody to lean on.
8. And this cramped runner proved that showing "grit" and getting help aren't mutually exclusive
Congratulations to everyone involved. See you next year.
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