Thank You, St. Louis
Dear St. Louis,
It is not easy being a runner. Your whole goal is to go go go, you have to be tougher than the average Joe, the weather is always your enemy, and most of the people you know don’t understand why you seem to love it so much.
It’s kind of like being from a city that you have to live in before you can understand its truly magnificent heart.
Last weekend, The Greater St. Louis Marathon welcomed over 20,000 people to our region. The runners went 26.2 miles through Downtown as well as beautiful, historic neighborhoods to the north, south, east, and west.
And what did they experience? They saw friendly faces encouraging them all along the route. They were showered with confetti. They saw handmade signs urging them to keep going and gorgeous views that inspired them to push forward. (And maybe even a person dressed as a giant ravioli.)
As they crossed the finish line, they were greeted by family, friends, and neighbors who were excited to celebrate their success. In classic St. Louis style, they could hoist a beer and dance along – on wobbly legs – to free, local music.
It was the most joyous of days, and not just because of our runner’s high. It was this city at its best.
We thank you, St. Louis, for being the challenging, nourishing, wild, and wonderful place you are. You showed up and cheered for us just like we will always cheer for you.
– The team behind The Greater St. Louis Marathon
