What a day and what an experience!!!
Coming back to our hometown, the city we grew up in and running through the streets of Philadelphia. What an experience!!! On a gorgeous sunny 50 degree day what could be better than taking a run in the City of Philly?! You may think we are crazy but running a marathon through this City is truly a lifetime experience. So many times during this run we both just broke out into smiles looking at the people, seeing the signs they held up, hearing the cheers and seeing the sights of our hometown.
We will never forget running for miles behind an older war veteran while he held a large American flag as people chanted USA, USA, USA!!!! Typing it and remembering the feeling still gives us chills. We ran with fit athletes, first time marathon runners, the young and old, moms, dads, grandparents…..all so different yet bonded for that time as we pounded the pavement together, silently helping each other push towards the finish line. Awe inspiring and so uplifting. It makes you feel like we can all accomplish our goals by digging down deep and perservering.
We started at the Art Museum (think Rocky Balboa and those famous steps), down Arch to Race to Delaware Avenue over to South Philly (again think Rocky running through the Italian market), to South Street and then up Chestnut Street with throngs of cheering people lining the streets cheering us on. Then we continued up through Drexel University and those darn hills, past the Philly Zoo (more hills) around to the Schuylkill River, past Boathouse Row, and back into the City where thousands of people cheered and offered words of encouragement as we finished our last mile.
Coming across the finish line with arms raised, huge smiles on our faces make all of the hours and miles of training well worth the experience….and one that we will never forget!
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