 
Our Charities
Our Sponsors
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Please visit our sponsor page
for a full list of our generous sponsors.
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In addition to our
five primary charities, Masonic
Learning Centers are generously
reaching out to their more than
250,000 students and families
in support of our efforts to help
children in need.
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Dave
McGillivray's
Journal
Josh
Nemzer's Journal
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Nice to meet you too ... During the reception at Fenway Park, Hap Farber said to Cam Neely, "It's a pleasure to meet you!"
Cam Neely replied, "The pleasure is mine, I've always wanted to meet Howard Stern!"
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| For media inquiries please contact Linda Fechter at linda@trekusa.org.
Visit our About TREK USA page for more information on TREK USA.
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• TREK USA logo
To download a high resolution version of the TREK USA logo, right-click on the above link and select the "Save Target As ..." option.
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May 31, 2004
The Long Road Ends
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A final team salute before the TREK USA runners head into Boston.
Photo courtesy of Robert Falcione
See more photos in our gallery |
Boston, MA - May 26th. I woke up this morning in my own bed. It was 5:00 AM. I looked at my watch, and closed my eyes again. I slept until 9:00 AM.
The twenty-fifth day of our adventure was on familiar turf, but it was filled with experiences that were beyond our expectations and will provide memories that will take weeks to process. For twenty-four days our focus was to the East. The tans we developed were more pronounced on our right shoulders, and when we were in doubt at an intersection, we went East. Along the way we gathered memories of people and places that have made indelible imprints on our memories, but on the twenty-fifth day we would be on our home course – the Boston Marathon. Collectively, how many times has our team run this course? 100? 125? We know every inch from Hopkinton to Boston.
May 25th was different.
The team gathered at The Green at the center of town at 11:00 AM to prepare for the start of our last 26 miles at the traditional noon hour. There was only one corral on the TREK USA version of the Boston Marathon, there was no VIP area, and there were no security personnel. Instead there were 15 team members and several hundred family members, friends, town officials to greet us, and media to report the joy.
For many of us, it was the first opportunity to see the family members we left nearly a month before. Absence truly does make the heart grow fonder. Then came the kids.
From behind the bandstand on the green we could see the school busses unload and a procession of children came our way. In their hands, they carried American flags, “welcome home” signs with our names, and they came with a genuine excitement to see the team they had followed across the country. Tentative at first, they politely greeted us. Soon, though, it was unbridled joy as each team mate – runner and support member alike - was swarmed by students asking for autographs! They knew we weren’t rock stars (though some suspected Hap might be a drummer for somebody), and they knew we weren’t professional athletes (Tom’s white hair was the first clue). What they knew is that we were ordinary people who worked together to accomplish something extraordinary. We were proud to carry that message, and we hope that they, too, will feel the excitement of taking on the difficult challenges of life with confidence.
Just like on Patriot’s day, we made our way to the start line at noon and began our final leg into Boston. There was the traditional police motorcycle escort, but on this day we could see it as we began running! I’m sure that the police were a bit confused as we blistered our way through the first mile at a 9 minute pace – no Kenyans in our midst.
The miles melted by as team members hopped in and out of the RV’s, most doing significantly more of the course than planned. We ran a little faster than planned, but the excitement of getting home was too great a draw. Lyn found the pace a bit too fast and fell behind. Fortunately, she was rescued by 1976 Boston Marathon winner, Jack Fultz. He offered to “double ride” Lyn on his bicycle. What a sight! Fortunately, Ken Schiff drove up to rescue them both.
Along the way motorists cheered for us, and more friends joined us. By the time we approached Kenmore Square, we had a large contingent of runners sharing they joy we felt. The excitement hit a crescendo when, at long last, the elusive Citgo sign was finally sighted. From 3,355 miles away it looked mighty small, but from Kenmore Square it looked mighty fine.
Because we would be running into Fenway, we had to detour from the marathon route to the Boston Latin School parking lot where we parked our vehicles for the final mile we would run together as at team. We showered, we changed, we had a bite to eat, and then it was time to run the last mile.
Under the protection of the Boston Police motorcycle detail, we made our way to Fenway Park via Lansdowne Street. It was there that we were blown away. On both sides of the street were hundreds of our family members and friends to greet us. The chill of the 45° evening was no match for the warmth of the reception. Then, the thrill of the evening was the entrance on to the field.
As we circled the field and heard the thunderous cheers, we began to process the reality that the trip had reached its successful conclusion. We ran 3,355 miles without significant injury, we raised more money for our charities than we believed possible, and we were standing on the pitcher’s mound watching Dave McGillivray out pitch a super model. It was almost too much to comprehend.
As with many great trips, the road is long, sometimes difficult, but filled with adventure. It will take a long time to process and appreciate it all. Though we feel gratified that our effort has raised a lot of money for the charities we represented, we know that we will take away more than we gave. That long road taught us about the beauty of our country and the generosity of our citizens. Each day brought us gifts that we will carry for the rest of our lives. Some days were tougher than others, but we always knew that we had the support of our team members and the thousands of folks who followed us along via our website.
The road has come to an end, and so too has our daily journal. It has been a privilege to be the “voice” of team TREK USA. I’ll miss our daily chats, but you’ll be in my thoughts. Till next time………
PS Along with the long road that ended for our team, so did it end for my Mom, Mary Licciardello, who passed away on Friday. Her journey was filled with joy, and she gave love freely even when things were hard. She waited for me to come home.
Tom
@TREKUSA.org
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Previous Days: 4/29 | 4/30 | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day3 | Day4 | Day5 | Day6 | Day7
Day 8-9 | Day 10 | Day 11 | Day 12 | Day 13 | Day 14 | Day 15 | Day 16 | Day 17
Day 18 | Day 19 | Day 20 | Day 21 | Day 22 | Day 23 | Day 24 |
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