The Anthem Richmond Marathon Continues to Inspire

by Jon Lugbill

After my 17th time being involved in organizing the Anthem Richmond Marathon, you would think I would have already heard all of the stories and would be numb to the emotions of Marathon Day. While I was a little numb from the cold as the morning started around 26 degrees, it didn’t take long until my emotions started to flow while I spent my day at the finish line.

The HCA Virginia 8k started things off at the finish line. Emotions were running high as many individuals finished their first running race. While 8k participants were completing the shortest distance of the day, just under five miles, reaching the finish line marked, for many of them, the first major milestone in their fitness journeys. Time and time again we heard from runners who told us they started running on the Sports Backers 8k Training Team.

The American Family Fitness Half Marathon came next. As the flood of runners came through the finish line, I started to help pass out the finisher blankets. Friends kept saying they set personal bests. The incoming Chair of our Board of Directors, Tyler Hutchens, finished in one hour and 45 minutes. The yellow shirts of the Sports Backers Half Marathon Training Team runners were pouring into the finish area, and the crowd was growing and the party atmosphere was in full swing. Yes, the day was looking like it was a good one for the runners.

The full marathon sort of starts slowly and keeps building. The elite athletes are amazing—under 5 minute miles for 26 miles—and it’s amazing to watch them fly down the final hill. Our own local hero, Doug Fernandez, the 54 year old sensation who just won the Harrisburg Marathon, brought in his speedy pace group—cruising in at the 3:05 mark.

24 weeks ago I spoke to the members of the Sports Backers Marathon Training Team on their first day. What an awesome experience to then see them again on race day, finally achieving their marathon goals after a long training season! It seemed like there were green shirts everywhere as MTT members kept pouring across the finish line. Many teammates crossed the finish line together and were hugging and high-fiving. If you think that running the marathon is a solo endeavor, you should have seen the three marathon training team members helping their injured teammate cross the finish line.

A couple hours later, I started to wonder if Sid Busch was going to make the 7-hour time limit. Sid had been a marine for 40 years and is now retired. Because he can no longer serve his country in active duty, he runs marathons in honor of service men who lost their lives in combat. Running a marathon is difficult in itself, but Sid, who is no longer a youngster, also runs while holding an American flag. Sid was trying for the third time to run his 197th marathon in honor of Wesley Williams, a 25 year old Army staff sergeant who died in December 2012 in Afghanistan. As the clock neared the seven hour mark, it was looking like Sid was going to have to make a fourth attempt another day. Just in time, however, everyone at the finish line could suddenly see the stars and stripes coming around the corner. There was Sid running down the hill to the finish line. After he finished, you could see the relief in his eyes as he welled up. As he embraced his family and friends, there wasn’t a single dry eye around as we admired and celebrated his heroic effort and felt the full effect of all of the emotions that had built up throughout the day.

Yes, Marathon Day is truly special. I can rest assured that the runners and walkers in the 8k, half marathon, and marathon still inspire me. In fact, race day offers the entire Richmond community the gift of inspiration as regular people show that we can all be exceptional.