My studio manager, Sarah, and I were able to watch the live stream of the Boston Marathon yesterday at lunch, on an iPhone, while I was between portrait shoots – and we were absolutely glued to the tiny screen. It was incredible to watch such incredible athletes run so fast, so powerfully. Not just the leaders of the race, but the nearly 36,000 runners who took on the difficult 26.2 miles on what turned out to be a beautiful morning. We were also lucky enough to see some familiar faces – like Meb Keflezighi, who was the first American male to win the Boston Marathon in 31 years, running with the names of the victims from last year’s bombing on his bib. What an absolutely inspiring finish. He was also inspiring when I got to meet him when he started off the Tarheel 10Miler here in Chapel Hill, North Carolina (kicking off again this Saturday, April 26th, with a sold-out field of over 6,000 runners), and I photographed him for Endurance Magazine. Born in Eritea, I introduced him to my Ethiopian-born son, and he couldn’t have been friendlier with him or us. 
We also got to see Shalane Flanagan, who led the women at the Boston Marathon for an insanely-long 20 miles and ended up finishing sixth, still beating her own personal record. I’d also photographed her for Endurance Magazine. 
Touring her home was pretty eye-opening, too. Check out this anti-gravity treadmill and the sheer amount of footwear she goes through: 
Cannot wait to see what these two inspiring athletes continue to do after the Boston Marathon – and I’m making my next long run a bit longer after the thrill of yesterday’s event.
