NYC Marathon a moving homage to bravery of firefighters

By Matthew B. Stannard
The San Francisco Chronicle
11/5/2001

A rhinoceros ran through the streets of Brooklyn yesterday — but that wasn't what got all the attention.

Sure, the rhino-costumed runner trailing the pack in Sunday's New York City Marathon got a few lusty cheers. So did the woman dressed as a Viking, and the hordes of runners with cheeks rubber-stamped "I (heart) NY."

But the real cheers went to the sweaty man at the back, running raggedly in a firefighter's helmet, heavy black rubber coat and heavy pants — about 30 pounds of gear.

He was slowed further by the legions of spectators calling for him,
stretching out hands, and the firefighters begging him to pose with pictures of their comrades lost in the Sept. 11 attack on the World Trade Center.

It wasn't a costume. It was firefighter Richard Cadotte, 38, of Brooklyn
Ladder Company 108. And he planned to run the whole 26 miles in full regalia.

"He's nuts. He's nuts. God bless him, though — I think it's great," said an
amazed Mike Suwalski, 29, one of Cadotte's fellow Brooklyn firefighters.

Cadotte said he had run the marathon in his gear four years ago — for fun.
But this time, he ran to honor firefighter Daniel Suhr, killed on Sept. 11
when he was struck by a body plummeting from the twin towers.

Cadotte and his company ran to help their fallen comrade, he said, instead of running on into the tower — which would have collapsed on top of them. In dying, Suhr saved the company, Cadotte said.

"I lost a lot of friends," he said. "I wasn't planning on doing it this year.
But I couldn't not do it. I'll walk and I'll crawl, but I'll get there."

The spirit of perseverance saturated yesterday's marathon, as it has all
public events in the city since Sept. 11.

During the marathon, support went both ways. In Brooklyn, a white-haired runner in an FDNY shirt had slowed to a weary walk when he passed a truck loaded with firefighters. At their cheers, he lifted his head, waved and ran on. A few miles away, runners broke their focus for one block to slap hands with a long line of uniformed police officers and firefighters.

"You have 30,000 people that had the courage and guts to still come from all over the country to run in this marathon. I think that sends a definite
message," said Elaine Durbin, who held a flag and wore a star-spangled
bandanna at the police barricades. "You have to give hope."

The runners were polyglot and multinational, ranging from the whippet-thin front runners to the weary many plodding far behind. Runners came from nations from Algeria to Zimbabwe and all 50 states.

Dentist Kenneth Bianchi of California ran a personal best: 3 hours, 42
minutes, 28 seconds, despite something going "pop" in his leg around mile 13. Like many of his fellow runners, Bianchi said he felt and was inspired with a feeling of proud, patriotic defiance as he ran.

But Bianchi said he was running not just to support New York but also to meet his own goals.

"I've trained for this for nine months," he said. "It's a commitment I made. If I really thought something would happen, I wouldn't be here."

Fear did keep some runners home, including Janet Buder, 42, of Mill Valley, Calif., who had frightening visions of joining 30,000 people on the bridge from Staten Island to Brooklyn just days after Gov. Gray Davis' warning of threats against California bridges.

"I was afraid to be in such a huge public event. I felt so badly about it. I
wanted to run, it was a dream my whole life," said Buder, who was born in New York. "Part of me felt like I was betraying my city but I have two kids, and running is a luxury, not a necessity, and it can be put off for a year."

The winner of the marathon was Tesfaye Jifar of Ethiopia, at 2 hours, 7
minutes, 43 seconds, a New York City Marathon record. The women's winner was Margaret Okayo of Kenya, at 2 hours, 24 minutes, 2 seconds.

It took Cadotte a little longer, but he did finish. Slowed by the heavy gear
and uncounted handshakes, Richard Cadotte lumbered across the finish line 7 hours, 19 minutes and 2 seconds after he started.