More than 70,000 people are expected to attend the Hartford Marathon on Oct. 14, including 12,000 runners. In the wake of the mas shooting at a country music festival in Las Vegas Sunday night, Hartford Marathon Foundation CEO and founder, Beth Shluger, said safety is always a priority.
“How can you even wrap your mind around the tragedy that’s transpired there?,” she said.
Shluger said the greatest experts in the region have a safety plan, but they cannot share it for obvious reasons.
“We have a very active safety and security task force made up of law enforcement and emergency planners in the region that works on safety in the Hartford Marathon,” Shluger said about the team of approximately 60 people. “I want to ensure people our guard is not down.”
Caitlin Cunningham’s guard isn’t down either.
The Simsbury native who witnessed the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013 plans to run this year’s Hartford Marathon.
“My gut feeling is that you have to continue to participate in the activities you like and … just I try not to think about anything bad happening at all,” said Cunningham.
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As authorities continue to investigate the overnight shooting in the Las Vegas concert venue, Shluger takes away a lesson that so many of us can use at any large venue or event.
“There’s nothing more important than see something, say something. Nothing more important than that when you have a gathering of a lot of people,” she said.
