The Run to Remember: Senior and Kids Marathon winners

Hundreds of marathoners showed up to run the final 1.2 miles of the Senior and Kids Marathons, which were rescheduled to Thursday after last weekend’s inclement weather. 

Over the course of several weeks, participants ran 25 cumulative miles and then took to the course to finish the marathon on Thursday afternoon. 

"I remember in 1995. It shook our whole school in North Edmond, and ever since then, we've taught everyone around us and educated Lily on why this is important to keep Oklahoma strong,” said Becky Blanco, a volunteer and the mother of a Kids' Marathon runner, Lily.

Seniors ran to remember the 168 lives lost, but also to honor those who survived. 

When asked why he runs, William Brown said, “It’s in honor of my first cousin. He survived the Oklahoma City bombing. He led people out of the blown-up building, and he got out, so I think he's a hero.” 

12-year-old Cade Cowan won the Kids Marathon. The sixth-grade student said he did not expect to win. 

“Not at all,” he said, shaking his head. 

Cowan said he will be too old to run the Kids Marathon next year, but his advice to younger runners: “If you’re going to train, then train hard and work hard, and if you’re running for fun, just show up and try your hardest.” 

8-year-old Diego shared that this year was his first time participating in the Kids Marathon. He said the hardest part about the race was “whenever you got to start because there was a lot of people.” 

Diego said he will probably run again next year. 

Other kid runners, like Reagan and Rylie, looked forward to “getting first place” and “crossing the finish line.” 

The winner of the Senior Marathon accepted his win humbly and quietly, leaving all of the attention on the celebration of life. 

Marathon officials said a record number of senior marathoners registered this year. 

Iricia Allen, one of the Senior Marathon runners, encouraged people to visit the Memorial Museum. 

“That’s why I’m running — because it gave me the heart to know that many people were affected that day. I get goosebumps about it,” Allen shared. 

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