Why I’m Running: Katie Carlin is running Boston for Martin Richard
"I am running my first marathon on April 16th for Martin and all the promise that his legacy holds."
In our “Why I’m Running” series, Boston Marathon runners share what’s inspiring them to make the 26.2-mile trek from Hopkinton to Boston on April 16, 2018. Are you running Boston? Here’s how to share your story on Boston.com.Name:
Katie Carlin
Age: 27
From: Boston
Bib #: 26321
I will never forget April 15th, 2013.
I had just left my office at HubSpot in Cambridge and was walking over the Longfellow Bridge to Boylston Street to watch the marathon with two friends. The city was alive and washed in sunshine; we were looking forward to the annual ritual of cheering for friends and strangers alike as they approached the finish line.
My phone vibrated. I looked down and saw my dad was calling me. His voice was shaky but calm and immediately I knew that something was very wrong. “Martin was just killed by some explosion at the marathon, you need to stay away from there.” I’m not sure how I responded, but I knew exactly who he meant when he said Martin’s name. I had known the Richard family for as long as I could remember. I was heartbroken and confused all at once. I stopped walking and gazed out over the Esplanade at the Boston skyline, a view that didn’t look the same as it did just moments before.
In the days and weeks that followed, I grappled with the loss of precious Martin, the innocent 8-year-old holding his cardboard sign he made at school that read “No more hurting people, peace.” I thought about the Richard family and the countless others whose lives would never be the same. I laid awake many nights, feeling sad and helpless, wondering how the Richards and the other victims would make sense of such senselessness, find calm amidst the chaos, or find peace in the face of such evil. As it turns out, the Richard family did just that, and, in doing so, they helped to lead our city out of darkness and into the light, embodied by Martin, forever a child, full of life and promise, optimistic and always looking forward.
I am running my first marathon on April 16th for Martin and all the promise that his legacy holds. I am running for the Martin Richard Foundation knowing that simple messages, like Martin’s own, “No more hurting people, peace,” can have a profound impact when people like Bill and Denise Richard work toward spreading a message that must be heard far beyond our own city. Early morning sub-zero training runs, blisters, ice baths, and occasional self-doubt are my offerings, my humble contribution, my small sacrifice to help spread that big and beautiful message.
Check out our entire “Why I’m Running” series.
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Editor’s note: Entries may have been lightly edited for clarity or grammar.
