Running is one of many things human being is able to do. Although the past few days shows us that we are not only able to perform physical, but also mental. The latest attack to New York, WTC, and Washington Pentagon gave us clear vision about the diversity of human mind.
It is hard, but I still do believe human beings are obsesses to create a world which is a place for everyone. As such we can not accept that who ever destroys our goal to make planet earth to be a better place for all of us. The latest attack to the United States are an attack to human beings. Those who are against humanity should not be member of our present global society. What happened in New York and Washington should never have happened nor shall be happen in future. It is us, billions of earth habitats to say so.
What running is concerned, I did understand that people who are living in the centre of attack ask the world to continue the NYC Marathon on November 4th. It is their way to do. I can follow it. Such terror can not determine our way of living.
Pheidippides was a protected runner, twenty-five centuries ago. Nobody may attack the messenger! After all these centuries, some rules of history are hopefully preserved; thousands of pheidippides-like people are expected to run on November 4th trough New York, making a statement that century-old rules are still up to date.
Each of us, who is able to run 42K or more, and can travel to NY should be there to make a statement to the world. Remember that up to now, nobody give a political reason to the attack; i.e. the attack was senseless. A reason could give some doubt, although it never will be sufficient to give understanding to the latest attack. Democracy is e Greece word, like Marathon is. Waving the stars and stripes and knowing that modern NYC marathon is strongly connected to our rotes, we must support New York RRC to stand up and not bow for this inhuman attack.
We respect all kinds of emotional responses we received. It is not what we will do in future, but why we do it. In such sense we must start with NYC Marathon to give an example of the years to come. Runners are the messengers of freedom; they have been in the past and they will be in future.
Anton Smeets
IAU, record committee
This statement is also published at http://fox.nstn.ca/%7Edblaikie/n14se01a.html
IAU President, Malcolm had send a special message to the British Embassy. The message will be publish on the IAU Web site soon, http://www.iau.org.tw
Many others will expres their feelings in their way.
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Many others responded; we give some of them:
Lamine Diack, President of the International Association of Athletics Federations
http://www.iaaf.org/news/index.asp?Filename=/news/PressReleases/getnews.asp?Code=4207
KNAU vraagt minuut stilte bij evenementen
http://www.knau.nl/
Unsere Deutchen Freunde auf lauftreff gaben ihrem reaktion:
http://www.lauftreff.de/
Berlin marathon has same spirit as NYC marathon
Note that an Amerikan once says “Ich bin ein Berliner”; today many of us would like to say “We are New Yorkers”
http://www.berlin-marathon.com/news/show/000572