So I am standing on the start line in at 01:50 in the morning wearing a very bright red star-patterned nightshirt, donated by the partner of my colleague in the German Embassy. It’s 38f and pretty chilly. To my left is Captain America and to my right is someone in pajamas and a dressing gown. We are joined by about 500 other people, all in different outfits…but more about this later.
I have been living in the United States for seven months now and one of the many things that I have been impressed by is the way military veterans are honoured. At baseball games there is an allocated area close to the action and spectators in the ground stand up and applaud the veterans’ commitment and sacrifice to their country. It is the same at American Football games. At the airports’ military personnel have their own reserved lounges to relax in prior to flying and they receive priority boarding.
I recently ran the Marine Corps 10k (the baby race to the full marathon run at the same time) in Washington DC. The whole event was brilliantly organised by the Marines who lined the route giving out drinks, yelling encouragement, and providing assistance to those who needed help. There is genuine and heartfelt affection for the men and women of the armed services in this country.
Let me tell you about the charity ‘Team Red, White & Blue’ whose aim is to help support wounded veterans when they return from active duty. Their intention is to create a community of veterans, their families, and American citizens who can enjoy authentic social interaction and shared experiences through activities and events all across America. The quotation they use from George Washington provides a good measure for their work:
The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve…shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the Veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation.
Accordingly they organise many athletic events to raise money, including a series called ‘Anythingispossible5k’, in which participants are encouraged to run in their pajamas or other fancy dress. Held in six different cities across the US, the run/walk race starts at 01:50 on the Sunday morning when Daylight Savings time ends and clocks get turned back. So, as you race you are in effect running forward as time moves back. I got a finishing time of -35:42 (24:18), a Personal Best for pajama racing. To finish off, the local coffee shop lay on drinks, pizza and cookies, which is a pretty good reward.