Court Security Officer (CSO) Stephen Abernathy was 23 years old and an off-duty officer when the Oklahoma City Bombing occurred in 1995. For 25 consecutive years, he has run the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon. He reflects on his journey honoring the 168 lives lost and becoming a marathon runner in his article "Ran Them All".
"Ran Them All" by CSO Stephen Abernathy
Ask anyone who remembers the Oklahoma City Bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building on April 19, 1995, and they can tell you where they were and what they were doing. Just 23 years old at the time and typical of people that age, coupled with working a swing shift schedule (3 pm to midnight), I was still in bed at 9:02 am. I heard a loud boom, but never would have thought it was an explosion from a terrorist act. A phone call from my sister revealed what had happened, and I turned on the television to the news.
My dad worked as a Court Security Officer at the Federal Courthouse, which was directly south of The Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building on the next street over. He was also off duty during the bombing because he worked swing shift hours. I was a rookie police officer at Midwest City Police Department, Oklahoma City’s neighbor to the east. Midwest City’s boundary is approximately five miles from the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. When allowed, I traveled to the bomb site and signed up to volunteer. I felt like I needed to do more, but there was an outpouring of support from all over, so every task was being handled. This is when the “Oklahoma Standard” was coined.
I never considered myself a runner. I ran the short-distance “dash” races in elementary school track meets and once showed how bad I was at the mile run. During those same years I enjoyed running with my dad through our neighborhood. But after some thought, I have now come to the realization that the time together is what I enjoyed, not so much the running. It was in 1999 that I was asked about running a 5K race in Midwest City. Upon completion, and an enjoyable experience, I signed up for others. I even signed up for a new 10K race in Midwest City, and thought that was the most difficult thing I had done.
The year 2000 was when the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon was announced. The inaugural marathon would be held on April 29, 2001. My uncle (we both married into the family; our wives are blood relatives) asked me to run the Inaugural Memorial Marathon. He had run other marathons, but I was still new to running and just survived my first 10K (6.2 miles).
I had to ask how far a marathon was because I had no idea! I could not believe he was asking me to run 26.2 miles; I thought he was crazy, and that distance was inconceivable to me. After some nudging and attempts at convincing me, I realized what an amazing opportunity. I was already connected to the bombing. I had always felt I did not contribute enough. I knew people who were killed. I knew people who survived. To be included in the inaugural marathon to honor the 168 lives lost, the survivors, and those changed forever after April 19, 1995, was an opportunity I could not ignore.
I was told that if I could run 10 miles, I could finish a marathon. My next run was to see if I could run 10 miles. I made it about 9 miles, so I committed to running the marathon at that moment. I was given a book to read for training tips, general information, and motivation: 6 Marathons in 6 Weeks at the Age of 60 by Hal Higdon. What stood out the most to me from what I read was the failure rate in the marathon world. That both frightened and relieved me. If I did not finish, no big deal, it happens frequently. But on the other hand, what have I got myself into?
On April 29, 2001—six years and ten days after the terrorist stole 168 lives that were our families, friends, neighbors, and coworkers—the Inaugural Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon was run. Records show 1217 men and 636 women crossed the finish line after completing 26.2 miles. In addition, there were also participants who formed teams to complete the marathon course as a relay.
I managed to finish and could not help but wonder if finishing was a fluke. As hard as it was running 4 hours and 52 minutes, after some time had passed, I decided to try again to see if I could complete 2 marathons in a row. I waited until 2002 and completed the second Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon, also my second marathon.
At some point, I believed I could run a marathon without it being a fluke. However, I never would have guessed that I would be running the Memorial Marathon for 25 consecutive years. I have made many friends during this journey and belong to an elite group of 20 people who have run 655 miles of the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon with me. My goal is to continue the streak for as long as I am capable.