Boston Marathon explosion: a tragedy in familiar circumstances - Women's Agenda

Boston Marathon explosion: a tragedy in familiar circumstances

As we publish this morning, the devastating news continues following two bomb explosions near the finishing line of the Boston Marathon which have already claimed the lives of two people and injured up to 100 others.

In a statement released this morning Prime Minister Julia Gillard said she’s unaware of any Australian causalities, and that the Australian Consulate-General in NY is currently making urgent enquiries to determine whether any Australians have been affected. There were 153 Australians entered in the event, including Paralympian Kurt Fearnley who has been accounted for.

We know that tragedies occur all over the world, every single day, and we should always retain a sense of perspective when it comes to the saturation of news coverage surrounding certain events.

But for many Australians, and I’m sure for much of the Women’s Agenda audience, this particular event will hit close to home because the circumstances are so familiar. We may not have competed in the Boston Marathon (especially with a difficult qualifying time) but many of us have been involved in fun runs, endurance events, half marathons and events like the Sydney City 2 Surf, and can easily visualise the pleasure and perceived safety of crossing the finishing line.

Anyone who’s run in a long-distance race knows the feeling of camaraderie that surrounds the idea of all being in it together: the support you have for other participants, the sense of wanting your friends to do brilliantly despite having competitively trained with each other, the feeling of being cheered on by spectators who don’t even know you, as well as the pure joy of seeing the finishing line.

Running brings us together: men and women, young and old, rich and poor. It’s a brilliant, beautiful and natural test of personal strength that almost anyone can participate in. It requires no expensive equipment, no technical mastery and little coaching and expert advice. It’s a sport in which you don’t necessarily aim to win, but rather better your personal best. Something all of us can strive to do.

It’s difficult to imagine how such a horrific act could have occurred during such an event. But really, it’s difficult to imagine how and why such acts occur anywhere – they do, all across the world, often without us even knowing about it. It takes circumstances that we can relate to for us to truly comprehend such experiences.

We’re thinking of all those who competed in the Boston Marathon today, as well as the event’s spectators, workers, volunteers, medical and emergency professionals, and the family and friends of those affected.

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