Laurie Herrell - Cincinnati, OH

I just wanted to say thank you for all the support before, during and after the race! I have been overwhelmed by all the phone calls, text messages and e-mails to see if I am okay. I know the cancellation of the race and the news events that went with it caused a lot of concern. I can tell you; this was an experience I will never forget! I wanted to let you all know that I made it and I am home safe and healthy.

At the start of the race temperatures were nearing 80 degrees. We were hot and miserable in the starting corrals before it even began. For anyone who has run a marathon, you know you hit "the wall" around mile 21 and feel you can't go on. I hit "the wall" at mile 11. I really felt as bad as or worse at mile 11 than I ever had at the end of my other marathons. I was struggling with the question of how I would make it to the finish, let alone run another step. I had never walked in a marathon before. But I couldn't breathe, I had never felt heat like that and knew I couldn't go on if I didn't do something. Once I finally decided that is what I had to do I felt much better and my spirits improved.

I began taking long walk breaks through the water stations or whenever I needed to. At the halfway point I was on track for a five hour finish time. After the halfway point, I think I began walking even more, as did everyone around me. Between mile 18 and 19 I first heard they cancelled the race. This was impossible for any of us to believe. So we all kept on, walking and running as we could. At this point they were also running out of water. We were also hearing that they were routing many racers back to the starting line. We were all the way at mile 19, though, so we were pushing through.

I was asking spectators with coolers if I could have some ice. That is how I was getting a lot of my water. Other spectators has hoses out that people were drinking out of. I saw my husband Chris, at mile 21 and he filled my water bottle with water he had. Chris lifted my spirits again and I stopped and talked with him for a few minutes before running on. As I left Chris and was running through China town, I noticed a bank sign that was flashing 91 degrees .It felt at least that hot! And shortly after this, I noticed the fire trucks. They brought out the fire trucks to slow us down. They were spraying us with their fire hoses to cool us down and make us walk. It worked!

I think that was the breaking point. When they sprayed us down with those powerful hoses, we all just began walking. The entire marathon field surrounding me was slowly just walking! I have never seen anything like it!! There was nothing for us to do but try to walk to the finish. One of my dear friends who started the marathon, but did not finish, jumped back in with me for the last four miles to help walk me in. Having her walk with me made it so much easier. We also had fun with it. She brought her phone and camera and we stopped and she took pictures of me with the skyline in the background, standing in front of mile markers, etc. Never in a real marathon would I stop to take pictures. We also stopped when I needed to stretch and once even sit on a curb to rest.

Getting through the first half was painful mentally, but walking those final 3 1/2 miles was so physically painful, I don't know how I did it, but I finished. With a chest cold, a double foot injury and unbearable heat, I finished! I ran the last 1/4 mile and crossed the finish line running in six hours and three minutes, a far cry from my normal 4 1/2 hour marathons. But to me, this one was more of an accomplishment than the others. It took so much determination and will power and I somehow did it. Out of 45,000 runners, just under 25,000 crossed the finish line! I am proud to be one of them, no matter how long it took me to get there.

Thank you all so much for all you did to help get me through it!! Maybe the next one will be easier! Attached is my favorite picture that sums up the experience. Notice all of us in this picture just slowly walking, heads down, feeling defeated (and notice the water cups on the ground, but no one holding any...they were out of water by this time.

Support Laurie today!