Over the past 129 years, thousands of runners have come to run one of the most famous marathons in the world. They represent dozens of countries, different athletic abilities, and reasons for running - some at the top of their competitive game, some fulfilling a personal goal, while others run in the name of a charity or a loved one.  All are one and the same: strong, determined, passionate, victorious. This piece is dedicated, with much love and admiration, to all the runners of the Boston Marathon, past and present, but also and most especially to those affected by the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.