On October 28, over 23,000 runners from across North America gathered in Arlington, VA for the 37th Annual Marine Corps Marathon. Among them was Daniel Schwartz, a man on a mission. Schwartz, a native of Silver Spring, MD, decided to run the marathon in a bid to raise money for ATZUM.
Though the marathon covers a grueling stretch of 26.2 miles (from Arlington, VA then winding through the streets of Washington,DC), the thought of quitting never even crossed his mind. He explained, “Completing a marathon is far easier when the runner realizes that his task has purpose beyond race day. ATZUM’s four core projects improve Israeli society and the organization’s work is truly inspirational.” Of course it also doesn’t hurt to have a cheering section, and his wife Shira and daughters Noa and Keren supported him by wearing t-shirts bearing his picture and the inspirational phrase, ‘chazak, chazak, v’nitzchazek.’
In the end, Schwartz not only finished the marathon (with a time of 4 hours, 33 minutes) he also raised over $3,000 for AZTUM.
To complete the race, participants joined in what Schwartz described as a ‘thrilling charge to the finish,’ racing up a steep hill to the Iwo Jima memorial. At the top, the runners were all greeted by a saluting marine, and handed their medals for completing the race. Though Schwartz is a civilian, the Marine Corps Marathon is open to members of the American Armed Forces and civilians alike.
When asked about his finish time Schwartz quipped, “My kids asked me if I won, I responded that I came in 10,217th place.” Considering that 23,519 runners took part in the marathon, and that many were enlisted soldiers, Schwartz is actually quite proud of 10,217th place. Schwartz is also proud of his other accomplishment: helping AZTUM, tackle Israel’s difficult social justice issues head on.
