Unexpected inspiration
On Sunday, I left my Airbnb to take my usual morning walk. I’ve been reveling in the architecture of Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood and was looking forward to exploring more little streets and the beautiful buildings.
I had only walked a block or so away when I noticed a street blocked off. Weird, but oh well. Another block revealed more road blockades and police cars, and now I was really curious. Just a few moments later, as some very fast runners came around the corner, it became clear – I was on the route of what turned out to be the Bucktown 5k.
I am a sucker for marathons and other large group runs. They always bring me to tears and I’ve never stopped to think about why. So I decided to take the opportunity to stop, cheer and whistle for the runners (and walkers) and consider why it’s so meaningful to me, having never done one myself. And this is what I realized:
These runs bring people together indiscriminately for something bigger than just themselves. In a time where we all feel so separated by our opinions and beliefs, all these people felt like one unit together, running. There were probably many belief systems, ideals, and ways of living that were running right next to each other – but none of that was on the table. They were just there to RUN together.
There is so much representation in these runs. Within the first two minutes, I watched THREE people, each with a full prosthetic leg, run by at the front of the pack. I saw kids running with who I assumed were their parents, folks I think were probably in their 70s, at least 10 different ethnicities, people who looked like runners, comfortable in the familiarity of the event, and those who seemed like they may be doing this for the first time – and it was overwhelmingly moving.
There is a sense that the reasons for being out there probably run much deeper than just to go for a run. Many people wore shirts dedicated to others, from past runs, or even shirts with messages. One shirt said “RELENTLESS”, while another said “Everything will be okay”. One shirt worn by a gentleman made me feel sad and discouraged, but we locked eyes and I cheered anyway.
It seemed that on this day, the runners needed me as much as I needed them, and that even though I wasn’t out there running with them, we were all a part of something bigger than ourselves, together. And that is a feeling I just don’t experience very often.
