ThereverberationsoftheterribleeventsatthefinishinglineoftheBostonmarathonwillringaroundtheworldandespeciallyinthiscountryuntileveryoneissafelyfromhomefromtheLondonmarathononSunday.Torunamarathonisahugeachievement,notonethateveryonewillchoose,butapersonalchallenge,andanincreasinglypopularthingtodoatleastonceinyourlife.Perhapsitisthequirkydistanceortheancientnamethatgivesmarathoninrecentyearsadeeperculturalmeaningfarbeyondprofessionalathletics.Runningamarathonseemslikeadifficultchallenge,butisn’toutofreach.Somarathonsrunninginthecitiesaroundtheworldaretrulyracesofthepeople,racesthatlevelandbondthecompetitorswhowinjustbyfinishing.Itseemstomethatmarathonsareoftenrunforthesimilarreasonstothemotivationsbehindmakingpilgrimagesinmorepubliclyreligioustimes.Sometimestheyareruntoatoneforsomething,togetpassorthroughtragedy,toaffirmthememoriesofalovedonelivesintheactionsofthoseleftbehind.TodaypeopleruntosupporttheresearchintocancerandAlzheimer,toraisemoneyforchildrenwithlimitedlife,ortocelebrateanewstart.Itisdoublyshockingthenthatintoamidsucharedemptivealtruisticpublicevent,theviciousnessofbombhiddeninpressurecocoonscamethisweek.Incontrastwiththestrongpersonalrelationshipsevidentinrunningamarathonforsomeoneelse,sometimeswiththeirfacesprintedontheT-shirtofthepersonrunning,incontrasttothis,istheindiscriminateanonymityofterrorism.Theterroristscan’thaveanyideawhoitistheyarekillingbyplacingbombsonatubetrainorinanoffice,inrubbishbinsorinaragsack.Theordinarinessoftheoperatorandlocationbeliestheunamendablegriefitcauses.TheLondonmarathonthisweekwillhavespecialpointsforthosewhotakepartandthosewhocometosupportthem.TherearetalksofblackarmedbangsinBostonYorkshire’smourningtributes.Afterthe7.7bombingsin2005,oneweeklateratmidday,peoplewereurgedtocomeoutoftheirofficesandplacesofworkandstandonthestreetsinsilence.Taxisandbusespulledover.Bellstolled.Andthepeopleofthecityreclaimedthestreetsfromthosewhomadethemtooafraidtogoout.EveryonewillmaketheirowndecisionaboutLondon,butclearlythousandswilldefytheiranxiety,andwillrunpubliclyforthecausethattheybelievein.Andindoingsotheywillaffirmtheworldtheanti-apartheidcampaignerArchbishopDeathmantutuwhointhemidstofviolencewasresilientenoughtosaythatgoodnessisstrongerthanevil.Loveisstrongerthanhate.
