Broad Street runners get set to go Sunday

Broad Street Run runners turned out at Lincoln Financial Field on Friday to pick up their race bibs and packets for Sunday’s race and to check out health and sport exhibits.  Outside the Linc, the Eagle’s Pep Band jammed on “Eye of the Tiger,” while a few of the excited runners shared their motivations with NewsWorks and their concerns in the wake of the Boston Marathon Bombings. 

 

 

 

Ingrid Schmiederer, a first-year Medical Student at Drexel and a first-year Broad Street runner, said she started to train for the race in January when she realized she could raise money for Child Family Health International, an organization that supports health professionals and students who work to provide health care around the world.  She said she was shocked by the Boston tragedy, but that it won’t stop her from running, because then “they’ve won.”  

 

Patty Zepp’s sister is a cancer patient and Zepp is her bone marrow match. After her sister’s initial diagnosis, she decided to run Broad Street and will be running for her fourth year.  “I’m running for my sister,” she said, “and I can’t worry about terrorists.”  

 

 

Joseph Conroy who is running the race for the 10th time, said he runs because it’s fun.  “The course is a good cross section of Philadelphia from toe to tip,” he said. He said he’ll be leaving his children, 2 and 4, at home this year but he’s not concerned for himself.  “Nothing beats coming in and hearing the Rocky theme song, I mean that’s so Philadelphia; it really carries you home.”