One of the hardest things in running is showing up when you already know you’re not chasing a podium.
No loud finish-line moment.
No big crowd.
No “front of the pack” feeling.
Maybe the chute is half-empty by the time you get there.
And you still start.
That takes a different kind of strength.
Because it’s easy to race when the sport makes you feel special.
It’s harder when the only real reward is knowing you didn’t quit on yourself.
Not every strong runner looks fast.
Some just keep showing up when their ego gets nothing back.
Mirna Duarte was born in Honduras and lived in the Richmond Hill neighborhood of Queens. She and her boyfriend, Randy, were engaged to be married. Duarte was a consultant at Marsh & McLennan. On 9/11, she was at her office near the top of the North Tower. She was 30 years old. Today we placed a white rose at her name on the #911Memorial to mark her 55th birthday. #NeverForget911
New York native LaShawna Johnson lived in Brooklyn with her three young children. She liked to sing with friends and once performed solo at her church. Johnson worked in the World Trade Center as a customer service manager at General Telecom. On 9/11, she was at work on the North Tower’s 83rd floor. Johnson was 27 years old. Today we placed a white rose at her name on the #911Memorial to mark her 52nd birthday. #NeverForget911
Bronx native Paul Curioli lived in Norwalk, Connecticut, with his wife, Kathi, and their two sons. In his free time, he was a carpenter, building furniture and birdhouses in his garage. Curioli also built a 25-year career in insurance, rising to vice president at FM Global. On 9/11, Curioli was at a meeting at Aon Corporation on the South Tower’s 102nd floor. He was 52 years old. #NeverForget911 #911Museum
New Haven, Connecticut native Christopher Murphy lived in Easton, Maryland, with his wife, Catherine, and their two daughters. A skilled sailor, Murphy taught in a youth sailing program. In April 2001, he became a senior research analyst at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods. On 9/11, he was at the firm’s offices on the South Tower’s 89th floor. He was 35 years old. #NeverForget911 #911Museum
Native New Yorker Wade Green lived with his wife, Roxanne, and their young daughter in Westbury, Long Island. Outside of work, he spent time gardening and singing with his mother in their Episcopal church’s choir. Green was a field service representative at Thompson Financial. On 9/11, he was setting up computers for a technology conference on the North Tower’s 106th floor. Green was 42 years old. Today we placed a white rose at his name on the #911Memorial to mark his 67th birthday. #NeverForget911
Born in Medford, Massachusetts, Robert Hayes lived in Amesbury with his wife, Debora, and their two young children. He spent free time surfing or on his boat. Employed by the Swiss firm Netstal Machinery, Hayes sometimes embarked on business carrying his briefcase and his surfboard. On 9/11, Hayes boarded Flight 11 for a business meeting in Los Angeles. He was 37 years old. Today we placed a white rose at his name on the #911Memorial to mark his 62nd birthday. #NeverForget911