The 127th Boston Marathon, yesterday.
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Why do we run?
Distance running is the only sport in which that existential question is more compelling than the sport itself. With all due deference to the sacrifices made universally by those taking part, watching people run isn’t exactly must-see.
But why do we run? Why do hundreds of thousands of folks at some point in their lives decide to train for a 26.2-mile run? They spend months in preparation, they burn through shoes, they’re up at dawn. They freeze, they bake, they suffer.
Running might be good for the heart, lungs and spirit. It’s hell on the joints. Running hurts.
Running by nature is goal-driven. Runners are running toward something, or away from it. Maybe both.
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