UMass football is doing its part to honor the victims from the Boston Marathon bombings with helmet stickers for this weekend’s spring game, but coach Charley Molnar, an avid runner, wanted to go the extra mile.
So, at halftime of the spring game, he’s asking people who were not able to finish the Marathon to come out and take a lap around UMass’ McGuirk Alumni Stadium and celebrate their accomplishment by crossing a special finish line set up at the 50-yard line.
"Competing in the Boston Marathon is a lifetime achievement and something to be celebrated," Molnar, who has run everyday for the past five years, said on the team website. "These runners deserve to finish what they started and we hope we can provide that for them. We want them to have that feeling of coming down the home stretch to the sound of applause and to have their friends and families greet them as they cross the line."
Each person will be acknowledged on the scoreboard and presented with a special gift from the university. Obviously, it’s not the same as crossing the finish line in the streets of Boston, but it’s a fantastic gesture by UMass and Molnar to show their support for both the victims and everyone who participated in the race.
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