SOMERVILLE, Mass. (WHDH) — A victim of the marathon bombing suspects gave many people a reason to run in Somerville on Sunday.
MIT Police Officer Sean Collier was shot as he sat in his patrol car. The race held in his honor raised money to fight cancer.
A little drizzle didn't keep runners off the course.
“It's been a good thing, I think most of us has lost our mothers to cancer, so it's thinking about what we can do,” said a runner.
There was no breakfast in bed for some mothers on Mother’s Day, instead a 5K through the streets of Somerville.
The Mom's Run is now in its 11th year.
“The fundraiser came from my mom dying of cancer, it's called the Mary O’Brien Memorial 5K for cancer,” said Gordon Pilotte, race organizer.
It has always been a memorial run, but it took on new meaning in Somerville, as this year’s race was dedicated to the memory of Officer Sean Collier.
“Getting in touch with Sean's family and they were honored, and actually his dad was here, and his sister-in-law ran the race,” Pilotte said.
The Mom's Run this year stood for memorial of many. MIT Officer Sean Collier was killed weeks before he would've been sworn in as a Somerville officer and would’ve likely worked this event to keep runners safe.
Despite the rain, it was a record turn-out; thousands of dollars were raised for cancer research serving as a reminder that no matter the adversity, there's always a reason to keep moving forward.