Wood Returns To Boston Marathon One Year After Bombings
Kim Wood running in the 2013 Boston Marathon – File Photo
The co-owner of Chatham’s running store, Up & Running, Wood finished in a time of 3:38:15 last year, good for 448th in her division, and 10739th overall. This year however, Wood has had to adjusted her goals after struggling with an injury in recent weeks.
“I’ve had to reassess my goals,” said Wood. “I’ve been dealing with an injury that kept me from running for three weeks. I’ve been back at it for a week. So, my goal has been adjusted from a personal best, to running consistently and strong through the race, and requalifying for 2015.”
It would be hard however, to discuss the 2014 Boston Marathon, without looking back at the events of a year ago. The bombings, which were set off near the race’s finish line, injured 260 people and killed three.
“It is overwhelming,” Wood said about returning to the Boston Marathon. “This race is highly emotional and incredibly high energy any other year. This year, the intensity is higher to the nth degree. It’s not just about the run, now. t’s not even really about the runners. It’s about the running community, the city of Boston, and about defiantly revelling in this celebration of sport.”
Following the bombings, Wood held fundraising events in Chatham to help support those impacted by the tragic events of 2013, and now says, that the true spirit of Boston and the running community will be showcased this year following endless positive support, and determination from all those involved.
“There’s been a lot written about how the bombers messed with the wrong athletes and the wrong city; it kind of sounds trite, but I can’t say that it’s wrong,” says Wood. “Last year went from celebratory to the tragic so suddenly. There was no way to comprehend or to process it properly. The response over the past 12 months has been so overwhelmingly positive. I don’t feel like it’s necessarily just as a response to “show the bombers,” to me it feels more like it’s a way for us all to support each other, and to show our love for our sport, and to the city of Boston.”
Wood won’t be the only Chatham runner at the Boston Marathon this year, as a contingent of local runners, including Renee Hartford, Steve Moore, Colin Goudreau, Peter Kistulinec, and Jeni Powell.
The Boston Marathon will be held April 21 this year, which is Patriots Day in Massachusetts.