The New York City Marathon brings thousands of runners from around the world to the Empire State, but there’s one runner that’s very special to those in Boston. It’s impossible to forget the image of U.S. Marine Micah Herndon crawling across this year’s Boston Marathon finish line.
His Boston moment was so moving that he was offered a spot in the world’s biggest marathon. Since then, he’s been intensely training in preparation for Sunday’s run, logging over 1,000 miles over the past few months.
Sunday, he’ll carry his biggest motivators with him on the route: two fallen comrades and a journalist, killed by an IED in Afghanistan. They’re not just in his heart, but their names are also inscribed on his sneakers.
“When I say their names, Ballard, Harmer, and Juarez, and that flashes across the screen, I'm already a winner... cause, eyes all over the world, see their last names. That means their memory lives on another day.”
Herndon says running has become his therapy from survivor’s guilt and post-traumatic stress disorder, and he hopes he can inspire other veterans.