Book Review — 4:09:43

4:09:43. No, this is not the marathon time of the author, but rather the title of Hal Higdon’s book. The book is named after the time on the clock that witnessed the first explosion at the 2013 Boston Marathon; a time at which many runners had passed the finish line, but many more were left on the course.

The Boston marathon is arguably the most iconic of marathons, with a storied history of fierce competition and demanding qualifying times. It draws over half a million spectators to the streets of the city. 2013 went down in history as one of the most memorable of marathons, but for all the wrong reasons.

Higdon’s is not a tale of who did it, but rather who most felt the impact of the bombings — the physical and emotional ones. After discussion with runners of all ages, sexes and abilities, Higdon has crafted a book that is reminiscent of a Chicken Soup for the Soul story. His runners are real, honest and imminently relatable to their fellow runners. He takes the reader through the marathon course from the eyes of those who lived it.

Whether one is a Boston veteran or casual jogger, all runners felt an immense sorrow over the events of the 2013 marathon and all runners will race through to see what happens next in 4:09:43. Runners are a community and, as Higdon points out, one made of the fastest, slowest, youngest and oldest, and everyone in between. “Want to take the field or the courts or the ice for the Super Bowl, the World Series, the NBA Finals, the final round of the Stanley Cup? Don’t even ask. But run Boston with the world’s marathon elite? You are there, even if starting an hour behind their ‘there'” Higdon quips.

Heartfelt and personal, 4:09:43 tugs at the heartstrings and possibly at one’s running shoe laces. Dedicated “to the victims of terrorism — all over the world,” this book makes one want to get out there and show the world that runners are a community that cannot be shattered.