Runner's World May 2014

LOCATION Cape Spear, Newfoundland PHOTOGRAPHER/RUNNER Michael Hanson THE EXPERIENCE Tracing the tip of the Avalon Peninsula’s jagged coastline, the nine-mile Cape Spear Path, which is part of the East Coast Trail, sits on the easternmost point of continental North America. “I felt like I was on the front of a ship in the middle of the ocean, running toward the horizon,” says Hanson, who set up this shot highlighting the Cape Spear Lighthouse. FOR DIRECTIONS, RESOURCE INFORMATION, AND DOWNLOADABLE WALLPAPER IMAGES, VISIT RUNNERSWORLD.COM/RAVERUN.…

THE BOSTON MARATHON, to me, has always represented renewal. That’s an odd thing to say about the world’s oldest continually run marathon, but its place on the calendar (the third Monday in April, Patriots’ Day) and celebratory, out-of-hibernation vibe have reliably pulled the dreary tarp of winter off my back for the past decade. Never mind the vernal equinox, it isn’t spring until we’re in Beantown, running every morning along the Charles, meeting readers at the expo, and making the trek from Hopkinton to Copley Square (or cheering for those who do). This year, the meaning of renewal has been magnified. All the Boston marathoners I know—and all the people we interviewed for this issue—are eager to “turn the page” or “close the loop.” The two bombs that exploded near…

At the heart of so much grief over the Boston Marathon bombings is Martin Richard, the 8-year-old who was killed by the second blast. His sister, 7-year-old Jane, lost her left leg. His parents, Bill and Denise, who suffered physical injuries in addition to their unimaginable emotional wounds, have set up a foundation called Team MR8, derived from Martin’s initials and his age, which was also his favorite number. The foundation’s mission is “to honor Martin’s message of ‘No More Hurting People—Peace’ by investing in education, athletics, and community,” Bill wrote in an announcement. “While the pain of that day will forever be with us, our hope is that this special event becomes a source of strength for our family and a means to make a difference in the world.”…

CINDY KUZMA While writing her piece “Go to Sleep Already!” (page 98), Kuzma realized her training could easily be improved with one simple tweak: Get more Z’s. “We’re all looking for that extra edge, and I wondered if sleep could be the missing factor,” says the Chicagoan. She’ll find out if more shuteye pays off at her 14th marathon in Boston on April 21. GUIDO VITTI “I am rooting for Shalane Flanagan to win the Boston Marathon this year,” cover photographer Vitti says of his fast model, who finished fourth in last year’s race. Both Vitti and Flanagan hail from Boston and used their native tongue while shooting in Portland, Oregon. “We were both dropping our R’s left and right,” Vitti says.…

THE RUNNING CURE Thank you for your thoughtful piece calling attention to PTSD (“Running Back from Hell,” March). I am a 16-year Army veteran and runner. I spent the first part of my career as a combat engineer on active duty with two tours in Iraq. I’m now a chaplain serving in the National Guard, and I know many men and women like James Buzzell and Joe Miller. The stigma surrounding these invisible wounds is real, but so are the positive adaptive behaviors that military service can engender. Again, thank you for sharing hope for health and recovery. —JACOB SCOTT Klamath Falls, Oregon HEALING WORDS I absolutely loved Katie McDonald Neitz’s honest evaluation of why she hadn’t been able to shake her injuries (“The Whole Body Fix,” March). I am…

NEWS, TRENDS, AND REGULAR RUNNERS DOING AMAZING THINGS STEPPING OUT of the Marathon Sports specialty running shop in downtown Boston, members of 4.15 STRONG glance at the traffic-worn yellow-and-blue finish line as they make their way down Boylston Street. Some run with the confident gait of previous marathon finishers. Some walk. Others limp. But the pace and the mechanics don’t matter. They are returning to the grounds of the marathon bombings to put their physical and mental scars behind them in preparation for the 2014 Boston Marathon. “A lot of us have talked about how the anxiety will be the hardest for us, so we keep practicing being near the finish line,” says Lauren Vulcano, 25, a graduate student from Northborough, Massachusetts. As Vulcano stood near this spot with her…