Runners across Connecticut are hitting the road to honor the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings. They’re part of a cross country relay called One Run for Boston.
NBC Connecticut caught up with one of the relay teams on its way through the shoreline. The runners were heading roughly 10 miles from Bridgeport to Milford.
“It feels good to get out there and help any way we can,” said Mike Grant of Norwalk.
So far, the runners in the relay have raised $400,000 for the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings.
The relay started in Los Angeles, California three weeks ago. The baton is currently getting passed through Connecticut, and the relay will end on Sunday in Boston’s Copley Square.
“I know a spectator that was injured last year,” said Mike Grant.
These runners said they understood why their efforts in this relay were needed, and they wanted to help those victims pay for the recovery.
“It’s important to realize these people are injured they’re going to be injured for the rest of their lives with they're missing limbs and they still need help…we need to keep helping them,” said Kelly Gallagher of Plantsville.
Local
The efforts are actually helping the runners involved too.
Many of them were at last year’s Boston Marathon and said the tragedy has had a great impact on their lives.
“I’ve been running for years and years and years and there’s a sense of violation,” Gallagher explained.
Being together in this relay was a way for these runners to heal. “When that happened in Boston that hurt everybody…all the marathoners,” Mike Grant added.
Many of the runners planned to make this fundraiser an annual tradition. “We're going to keep doing it and it’s really important,” Gallagher explained.
