Meet Competitor’s 2014 Faces Of Boston
Join us as we share 14 stories of inspiration ahead of this year's Boston Marathon.
Join us as we share 14 stories of inspiration ahead of this year’s Boston Marathon over the next 14 days.
On April 15, 2013, the core of the Boston Marathon and its beloved host city was shaken by the unthinkable, sending a nationwide ripple of horror, disbelief and a chaotic scramble for answers. Over the last year, thousands of runners across the United States have searched for their own answers—and closure—by lacing up their shoes, restarting their watches, taking a deep breath and running toward a renewed sense of security within the sport we hold so dear. And if you’ve followed the stories out of Boston over the past year, it’s clear that the healing process and moves toward closure are in full effect.
MORE: Check out Boston Strong, an enriched media project presented by Competitor.com
Those stories—the Faces of Boston—reached all corners of the nation, inspiring thousands to define their own Boston Strong. For Stephanie Abraham of Chapmanville, W.V., Boston Strong is a way of stating that runners are the most resilient people on earth. For Dustin Hinkle of Denver, Colo., Boston Strong mimics the same unwavering community strength that followed the Columbine tragedy, where his father was a first responder. “After Columbine, our community rallied around the phrase, ‘We Are All Columbine.’ I feel ‘Boston Strong’ captures a similar spirit that can be found throughout our nation’s history.”
For every runner, those words rally different emotions—but on April 21, all 36,000 runners who toe the line, as well as the thousands tuning in around the world, will take back Boston in one swift stride over 26.2 miles, reminding the world that April 21 is our day, and the Boston Marathon is our race.
Hinkle and Abraham are just two of the 14 running stories representing the 2014 Faces of Boston at Competitor.com, which will be rolled out daily between now and Sunday, April 20. From charity runners, recovering alcoholics and first-time marathoners to working parents, weight-loss champions and grieving victims of loss, every story has a story and a reason for running the 118th Boston Marathon.
2014 Faces Of Boston
Check back daily from April 7-20.
April 7: Mark Herzog
April 8: Dawn Cobak
April 9: Brad McCorry
April 10: Kathy Green
April 11: Almario Gonzales
April 12: Nadia Ruiz Gonzales
April 13: Michael Wardian
April 14: Stephanie Abraham
April 15: Dustin Hinkle
April 16: Christine Thompson
April 17: Christopher Anderson
April 18: Melanie Powers
April 19: Lisa Georgis
April 20: Lisa Hunt