We all remember that Monday in mid-April back in 2013 when the bombs went off at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. It was a day of tragedy for the running community, the United States, and the world at large. That was before I’d ever been to Boston or run a marathon, but it consumed my mind that day and the days to come. I thought of an old classmate of mine who always went out for the marathon and prayed that he and his family were safe. It turns out they were safe, and that that classmate became the love of my life and the reason I got into marathon running and annual trips to Boston in April.

This is my third year at the Boston Marathon (running it once and cheering on loved ones twice), and the events of that day back in 2013 still resonate strongly within me. But what resonates even more strongly than the tragedy is the way this community has come together in strength and unity since the bombing.

Nearly 500,000 spectators line the roads leading into Boston as the runners make their journey from Hopkinton to Boylston Street in downtown Boston. Thousands of volunteers provide cups of water at aid stations, security around the start and finish areas, and medical care to hurting runners. Thirty thousand runners—from elite athletes to time qualifiers to charity runners—pour their hearts, souls, and months of training into one great race: the Boston Marathon.

The Boston Marathon is a special race because it represents not only the hard work and determination required to run 26.2 miles but also a community coming together in strength, unity, and fearlessness. As each runner toes the start line in Hopkinton, they are making a statement to the world that we together are more powerful than the fear that the bombers tried to instill in us back in 2013.

I am honored to have been a part of that community the past three years, especially last year when I ran my first Boston Marathon. It was one of the most challenging experiences of my life, but when I reached the finish line in victory I knew I had conquered more than just the miles. Neither the unforgiving elevation changes in the Boston course nor the warm New England afternoon weather could bring me down, nor Heartbreak Hill at mile 21 or the leg cramps that came with it. But most of all, I had conquered the fear and hate alongside thousands of fellow runners. When people ask me what running the Boston Marathon means to me, I tell them it is so much more than a race to me; it is being a part of something greater than myself. Being a part of this race has been one of the most thrilling experiences of my life, and I hope to continue to come out for the Boston Marathon for years to come.

Hate has not torn the Boston Marathon community apart; it has only driven us together. We are strong: #BostonStrong.