Jennifer Gets Her Second Chance at the Boston Marathon
When Jennifer Black was less than half of a mile from finishing the 2013 Boston Marathon, a clogged throng of runners stopped her in place.
“We really didn’t know why we were stopped. We thought perhaps someone was injured and an ambulance needed to get through,” she recalls. “But then, I remember seeing a man walking in the opposite direction with a frightful look on his face and talk of the bombs filtered through the crowd.”
Immediately her thoughts turned to her twin sister, Jean, who was waiting for her at the finish line. Through a chain reaction of cell phone calls between her husband and brother-in-law, the sisters were comforted knowing that each was safe, but the devastation was everywhere.
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Jennifer's Thoughts the Day of the Bombing
“It really was indescribable and profoundly saddening to think about how many people’s lives were so significantly altered.” Jennifer too felt vulnerable by the day’s end, not having access to her personal belongings, which were tucked in her hotel room, located squarely behind the security lines. “I truly had to rely on the kindness of strangers to help provide for me in that moment, having no money, no warm clothing and no food,” she says. “It gave me a brief sense of what it might feel like to permanently be on the streets.”
Jennifer has Run 29 Marathons
The Boston Marathon was one of many marathons Jennifer has run. In fact, both Jennifer and Jean are on a quest to finish 50 marathons in 50 states. She has completed 29 and has 21 to go. “I don’t count Boston from last year because I didn’t get to finish,” she says. “They gave us a certificate and a medal and said that we finished, but we didn’t. This year, I will finish.” And on April 21, she did.
Of her varied racing experiences, Jennifer says she enjoys the scenery of each new place and meeting people. Her favorite marathons thus far have been the New York Marathon, which she says is one giant block party, the Boston Marathon and the Flying Pig Marathon, which she says easily is the most well run race she has participated in.
There’s a bit of altruism wrapped up in Jennifer’s approach to racing as well. Jennifer runs at least one marathon per year to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and she has developed a knack for helping other racers dig in and finish when the going has gotten tough. “Those last four or five miles are flat out tough,” she notes. Jennifer recalls one particular race where a young servicewoman was having a rough time.
“We had met a little earlier and I remembered her because she was beautiful and strikingly tall. I stopped and prayed with her and talked with her to keep her going. Near the end of the race, we passed one of her friends on the sidelines who handed her an American flag. Draped in the flag, we crossed the finish line together and I remember thinking about the sheer loveliness of that dichotomy: I’m short, she’s tall; I’m old, she’s young; I’m light skinned, she’s dark skinned.”
To Jennifer, that imagery is part of the beauty of the race. “At the end of the day, anyone can run. It takes relatively little skill, no talent and no coordination to run long distances – it takes sheer determination,” Jennifer says.
The Pavilion: Why Jennifer Joined
Jennifer joined the TriHealth Fitness & Health Pavilion in October of 1999 after having initially accompanied her sister Jean who needed to use the warm water pool to rehabilitate a broken ankle. “This facility really meets all my needs. You’ve got an indoor track, a master Yoga teacher, challenging classes, fantastic professionals and a warm water pool, which is fantastic for my arthritis.” Jennifer specifically mentions working with swimming coach Val Lyons, “She pushes me so hard; she really is a treasure. Nobody makes me feel like Val does.”
At age 62, Jennifer Black is as dedicated to her health and wellness as it gets. The TriHealth Fitness & Health Pavilion is proud to recognize Jennifer as the May Member of the Month.