Here’s the piece from Haruki Murakami, one of my favorite authors. He has been running marathon for quite a while now, 30 years to be precise. He has stepped foot in many parts of the world, he has broke sweats in many races round the globe, but the Boston marathon remains faithfully the most magical in his heart.
What’s so wonderful about the Boston Marathon? It’s simple: it’s the oldest race of its kind; the course is beautiful; and—here’s the most important point—everything about the race is natural, free. The Boston Marathon is not a top-down but a bottom-up kind of event; it was steadily, thoughtfully crafted by the citizens of Boston themselves, over a considerable period of time. Every time I run the race, the feelings of the people who created it over the years are on display for all to appreciate, and I’m enveloped in a warm glow, a sense of being back in a place I missed. It’s magical.