HANOVER COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Ahead of Saturday’s marathon in Richmond, dozens of people gathered at the memorial site for Meg Menzies.
The mother of three was hit and killed by a drunk driver in January 2014 while she was out for a morning run along East Patrick Henry Road.
On Friday morning, friends, family and those inspired by her story ran two miles in her memory. Many of them are in town for the Richmond Marathon and came from as far away as Germany, Colorado and the Cayman Islands.
Menzies’ death inspired thousands of runners from all over the world. They’ve been dedicating their runs to her, like they did Friday, and calling them #MegsMiles on social media.
A Facebook group called Meg’s Miles Supporters has nearly 17,000 fans and has created a bond between members.
“If I had my way, Meg would be here today running, not us,” Meg’s mom told the crowd. “But God has a bigger plan, and his plan was to bring us all together.”
Supporters say, though very large, the group has become tight knit.
“These people are my family now. The group has grown so much. We motivate each other every day,” said Jorge Coria, a Meg’s Miles Supporter who came to the run all the way from Texas. “There’s so much togetherness.”
Brooke Roney, who knew Meg, started Meg’s Miles.
“It’s an amazing community of people who want to spread her story and keep it alive,” she said.
Even more amazing — several of the supporters, like Coria, never even met Meg.
“So many people loved her and (after) all the stories I’ve heard about her, I had to meet everybody around her if I couldn’t actually meet her in person,” he said.
Coria says Meg’s tragedy hit close to home.
“We all run in the morning, so it’s a little dangerous,” said Coria. “Her story made us more aware about safety and being aware of your surroundings because even when you think you’re safe, you never know.”
Roney says she’s not surprised Meg’s Miles has spread, even to strangers.
“In her pictures, through her smile, they know the kind of person she was and they feel something from that and they’re moved by that,” she said.
All of them, inspired by the legacy she left behind.
Meg’s father left the crowd with these words of wisdom Friday: “It’s not how you run, it’s how you run your life.”
