Marine Corps Marathon #Run3rd Dedication Poster

By Matt Killinder. Open in new window to enlarge and read dedications.

Submitted by Matt Killinder @MKillinder

Run3rd. When I first heard about its true meaning, it struck me to the heart. When I was growing up, Sean Astin was someone I looked up to. When he told me about #Run3rd at the Louisville Wizard Con, and shared with me that he was going to run the Chocolate 5K in Downtown Louisville, I knew I had to run too, thinking and feeling those same three dedications he runs for.

The #run3rd is like a prayer. As you run for yourself you are believing that the training will pay off for a great run, that your joints and muscles will stay strong, and so forth. When you are running for your family, you look towards them for strength, and hope the best for their well-being and safety.  Finally, running for others. Friends or strangers alike may say to you say, “My uncle just got cancer” or “I need to pass this final exam.” It’s in those times where we always hope for the best for people. It’s a subconscious prayer letting people know your thoughts are with them, and at the same time it’s a driving force that pushes you through the run.

Before Sean ran the Marine Corps Marathon, he asked people for dedications. Friends, family and strangers sent dedications via Twitter and Facebook using “#Run3rd” to Sean, and he had them compiled onto one sheet of paper. He then took that piece of paper and ran with it in his pocket during Marine Corps Marathon. It was in that moment, I felt Sean deserved something for his dedication to run for himself, his family and us. I created this poster for him as a memory to our soldiers and all the people he was running for. In this picture, the silent prayer of #Run3rd is portrayed.

“I run first for me, I run second for my family, and third I run for you…”  —Sean Astin