Runners Become 'One' For Boston Bombing Victims

Distance runners are a breed unto themselves. They run alone. They run in pairs. They run in groups. And they all run differently.

Regardless of their respective gaits, though, they are one in the same. They get a runner’s high when competing and push their athletic abilities to their bounds.

So when a runner’s brethren, competing in one of the most famous marathons of the year, is threatened, it can be taken personally.

That’s just one of the reasons why a group of athletes from the Chester Running Group will be taking on a leg of the One Run for Boston, supporting the One Fund for Boston on Friday night.

Linda Blazier of Flanders, along with coordinator Mitchell Ricker, Mokash Sharma, Reid Cox and Silvia Pinel-Villalobos, all from the Long Valley and Chester area, will run together at 11 p.m. on June 28 from Cornerstone Pizza and Tavern in Long Valley to the Black Horse Tavern in Mendham.

The unorthodox time for the run is because the nationwide course is being run 24-hours a day until completion, Blazier said.

The course winds down Route 513, across Route 206, and along Route 24 for 9.6 total miles, as the runners will stride in solidarity for the victims of the Boston Marathon Bombings.

According to Blazier, Cox had just finished the 2013 marathon when the bombs detonated.

One Run for Boston kicked off in Southern California earlier this month and consists of more than 3,300 miles of course from Los Angeles, culminating in Boston, taken on by more than 1,000 runners throughout the country.

As of Wednesday morning, the fund had raised $66,817 for the cause, according to the One Run website.

Blazier, who considers herself one of the weaker runners of the group but is excited about the opportunity to take part, said it’s not just about the runners, but the spectators who were affected during the race as well.

“When you’re running in half marathons or marathons, it’s the fans that keep you going,” Blazier said. “The spectators are the spirit and give you the support you need when taking on such a big challenge.”

The group will hand over the running duties to another group that will take the next leg to Springfield, Blazier said.

Those interested in donating to the cause and supporting local runners can visit the One Fund website.