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Bombing victim Martin Richard's friend Theo Stanley to participate in Boston Marathon's 10th anniversary

Records show that since 2014, more than 1,000 runners have raced over 23,000 miles and managed to raise over $ 6 million for Martin Richard Foundation

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS: Boston Marathon will be marking the 10th anniversary of the tragic terror attack that killed three and injured 281. One of the victims Martin Richard, was just eight when he died. Over 50 runners will participate in the run in his memory. His childhood friend Theo Stanley and older brother will be among those at the starting line. The records show that since 2014, more than 1,000 runners have raced over 23,000 miles and managed to raise over $ 6 million for the Martin Richard Foundation.

“I truly do not know how I'm going to feel because I don't think I will have ever felt that feeling before,” said Stanley. The MR8 Tribute Team member also told Boston Herald, “I live every day with him in my mind, and I try to do right by him. It's going to be really impactful to cross that finish line.” He continued to reflect on Monday’s race day, “Promoting the ideals at the center of who Martin was, and that he was a very caring person. He really wanted to see everyone succeed in life, and that's what the organization is all about.”

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'It became something I was going to do'

Martin’s brother Henry, who had run the race earlier will be running this time too with his friend Liley Damatin, 20. During the interview, she said that they always wanted to run the marathon and it only became more serious after the 2013 bombing. She shared, “Then especially after 2013, it became something I was going to do, like not just talk about it for the rest of my life”.

Who all died during the Boston Bombings?

The bombs took the lives of Martin Richard, Lingzi Lu, 23, and Krystle Campbell, 29. The bomber shot dead MIT police officer Sean Collier, 27 before he was finally gunned down. Boston police officer Dennis Simmonds, 28, also succumb to his injury a year later during the manhunt, as per Daily Mail. The current world record holder Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge is competing along with defending champion Evans Chebet. The organizers have added a new division of non-binary athletes this year.