Tulsa Runners Hold Impromptu Tribute For Victims Of Boston Bombing

Some runners laced up their sneakers for a tribute run Tuesday night.

A local running group asked the public to join them in honoring the victims of the bombing at the Boston Marathon Monday.

They didn't know how many people to expect and said the turnout was even better than they'd hoped.

In a show of solidarity, 1,500 miles away from the attack, Tulsans honored victims of the Boston Marathon by doing what unites them: running.

"It was a no-brainer. We actually had other plans and switched them in the middle of the day and decided to come here," said Natalie Thomas.

A women's running group extended an invitation for a tribute run along Riverside and more than 50 runners joined them.

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"Runners come together in crises and we support each other, it's just kind of like a community that we're a part of," said Andrea Gentis.

They wore their running jerseys from different events, and several donned Boston Marathon shirts from years past.

That race is the Super Bowl of the running world, and what should have been a triumphant moment at the finish line was instead devastating.

"Any tragedy you hear about is horrible, but it really hit close to home, because when you think about marathons, that's one of those expressions of being active and kind of an affirmation of life," Gentis said.

Several of the Tulsans are training for the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon on the April 28.

"If we were to be nervous, we would be doing a dishonor to whole idea behind it, and the best way to do it is to just keep pushing through," said Scott Asher.

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Mike McAndrews raced in Boston just last year. He said he'll be back in 2014 and expects some security changes.

"That's a shame, because you like it to be really open, but no, we're going to get out there. This is what we do and we enjoy it," McAndrews said.

The runners say a six-mile tribute run is easy, compared to the road to recovery awaiting many of the bombing victims.

This tribute run was just a grassroots, informal event organized in less than 24 hours. Formal events haven't been scheduled yet, but the runners are expecting that to happen in the coming weeks.