Jay Pisano: Spirit of the Boston Marathon

April 20, 2009

More than ten hours after the starting gun had gone off and long after most of the faithful Boston fans had abandoned the marathon course, there appeared on Boylston Street one last determined athlete grinding his way to the finish line--literally a single painstaking step at a time.

Gradually a crowd gathered in the rain.
This man has gone on like this for 26.2 miles?
At first we were stunned. Strangers looked at each other with tears in their eyes.

And then a great cheering and exhortation rose up in the city streets, as desperate and passionate as the historic cries of nearby Fenway Park.
Because we all needed him to finish this race, to win this personal contest.
Because if he can do *this*, then we can do anything.
This man grinding himself down to the very end of himself, he represents the best part of us: determination, endurance, courage.




And finish he did.

Thanks, Jay, for showing us the spirit of a marathoner, of a human being, as perfectly as anyone has ever shown it.

And kudos to the city of Boston for exhorting a true hero to run the good race, and to finish.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Boston-Marathon
• Boston
• marathon
• Jay-Pisano
• courage
• endurance
• faith
• determination
• hero

[bwhite53]

Jay Pisano my new hero!

[Dare2Dream2Day]

Wow....this video is even better than the one I got that day....in fact i am in your video! What an amazing moment that we got to witness!

[prleitihi]

awesome!!!

[hireheelsdotcom]

Thanks for sharing this vid...

I posted on my blog (hireheelsdotcom)....i was hosting a party at the Lenox Hotel and happened to walk out right as Jay was approaching the finish... i joined the swelling crowd - it was electric.... we were hooked.... encountering Jay and his fierce determination put my whole day (and year!) in perspective and being able to relive it here over and over again ... is priceless.

Thank You Jay! And Congrats!!!!!

[brandonsmarathon]

So amazing. Congratulations Jay.