A1A Marathon becomes memorial:
Marathon entrants honor high school shooting victims with moment of silence, T-shirts
Mourning and sport mixed at the annual Fort Lauderdale Publix A1A Marathon. Many participants on Sunday had ties to Stoneman Douglas or paid tribute to the school.
FORT LAUDERDALE — The sounds of hundreds of cowbells and cheering echoing off the resort buildings and out to sea made Sunday’s Publix A1A Marathon much like it has been in years past.
But reminders of Wednesday’s school shooting in Parkland were everywhere.
Dozens of runners wore some sort of tribute to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School or Parkland as they made the turn from Las Olas Blvd. to A1A, while a cruise ship glided into port in front of a breathtaking orange sunrise.
Before the marathon started, Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jack Seiler told the crowd huddled together in the dark in front of the Museum of Discovery and Science that “this has been a tough week for us in Fort Lauderdale and Broward County. Everybody is running for someone.
“When this is over be sure to call or text your loved ones and give them a big hug when you get home,” Seiler said.
At the finish line on the beach half-marathoner and West Broward High School teacher
Denis Rodrigues, 55, of Cooper City, broke down in tears as he crossed wearing a Stoneman Douglas Soccer shirt. “I taught at that school for twelve years,” he said, “that’s where I met my wife.”
Adria Minevich of Parkland ran with friend Isabel Tavares, who was visiting from Canada, They both wore shirts from Stoneman Douglas High School. “My daughter will be a freshman at the school next year,” Minevich said. “She is going to a funeral today.”
Tricia Amrhein is the girl’s soccer coach at North Broward Preparatory School in Coconut Creek. Amrhein said she graduated from nearby Taravella High school and the she and the girls on her team all knew Alyssa Alhadeff, the 14 year-old soccer player who was lad to rest Friday. She wore a shirt that said Stoneman Douglas Eagles in a heart shape.
Terri Mouser ran an half-marathon and is one of the five women who had Parkland Strong Tshirts printed. “Five of us together made the shirts,” she said. “We all live in Parkland.”
Two police officers got loud cheers as they ran in full gear. Joseph Mercogliano of Plantation and Broward Sheriff ’s Deputy Sgt. Ian Hunt both finished the 13.5-mile half marathon.
The winner of the women’s marathon, Brenna Merrill, teaches intensive reading at Boca Raton High School.
“I was running and thinking about my most amazing kids, about every single kid in Florida right now, especially the kids at Marjory Stoneman Douglas,” Merrill said after the race. When she crossed the finish line she was not aware that she had won the race and had to be told by race officials that she was the winner.