About 521 runners laced up their sneakers Saturday at Recreation Park in Binghamton. Mayor Matt Ryan sounded his air horn. And they were off!
The Binghamton University crew club hosted the third annual McKenna Memorial Run to honor their fallen teammate, John Mckenna IV.
The race tripled in size since it began in 2007, making it one of the biggest in the Southern Tier. The Marine Honor Guard, Endicott Union High School, BU students, faculty and the community showed their support for the rower, who was killed in combat in 2006 during his third tour with the U.S. Marines in Iraq.
The $13,000 in proceeds benefited the John McKenna Memorial Fund, which supports the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund and the New York State Trooper Scholarship Fund. Funds raised also helped the crew club purchase a boat in McKenna’s name. The club had been saving up, and this year they could finally put a down payment on it and christen it. The boat’s first race will be the club’s home race, the Busfield Regatta, on Saturday, April 18.
“We hope to continue to honor the dedication, commitment and memory of John McKenna, not only to BU crew, but to his Marines, his troopers, his friends, and most importantly, his family,” said Mike Eichler, chairman of the memorial 5K committee.
The race results and more photos can be found binghamtoncrew.org.
— Robert Hadad-Zlokower