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Local races show support for Boston bombing victims

Runners in the Triangle aren't allowing Monday's terrorist attack at the Boston Marathon to slow them down. In fact, they say its inspired them.

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RALEIGH, N.C. — Runners in the Triangle aren't allowing Monday's terrorist attack at the Boston Marathon to slow them down.

In fact, they say it's inspired them to organize several runs over the next week in honor of the three people who died and the more than 180 people injured in the pair of blasts.

"As a running community, we were hit so hard by something so harsh and so unexpected," runner Mariah Bridges said Wednesday. "I wanted to have a way that we could come together, all be Boston runners for the day, and support them and let them know that we're here."

Bridges has helped organize the A Mile in Memory run on Monday evening and says that whoever is responsible for the bombings picked the wrong group of people to target. She says runners have power, strength and endurance and that their spirit won't be defeated.

The event, sponsored by Change the Triangle, starts at the corner of Wilmington and Morgan streets in downtown Raleigh at 6 p.m.

Donations are being accepted and will go to the American Red Cross in Boston.

"We're going to overcome it," Bridges said. "We're going to show that bad does not win, that good will win."

Kaz Yahyapour, race director for the Tobacco Road Marathon, has organized the 3-mile Boston Memorial Run fundraising run at 3 p.m. Sunday at Tir na nOg Irish Pub & Restaurant on South Blount Street in Raleigh.

Yahyapour had crossed the Boston Marathon finish line about 15 minutes before the first explosion Monday and said the run will be a show of solidarity with Boston runners.

"We are the runners, we are the resilient people. We will not let something like that stop us."

The Boston attacks have also inspired other runs.

At Fort Bragg Wednesday, Team Red, White and Blue paid tribute to Monday's victims with the 26.2-minute Go Boston run.

Team Captain John Kimbler said the event allowed the organization "to gather, say thanks for our teammates who were not injured and say a prayer for the injured and those we lost."

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