Indian-American Kanwar Singh places 2nd in Boston Marathon Military March Oct. 12

Earlier today, I placed second in the Boston Marathon Military March of 26.2 miles with a time of 6 hours & 25 minutes. Running is not authorized in our category while wearing full military field uniform.

I could have placed first but I ran into an Air Force Special Forces veteran at mile 20 who was cramping and needed help. As we learn in the military on day one, we never leave a comrade behind. I told the veteran he was either going to cross the finish line on his own or I was going to carry him across if I had to. Luckily, he persevered and made it though on his own. At the finish line, the two of us & another stranger did 22 pushups each to raise awareness for the 22 military veterans who commit suicide (on average) due to PTSD each day.

It was great to see amazing strength and resilience of Boston back in action after 18 long months of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the march, I prayed for people who have been impacted by the COVID-19 virus and/or struggle with the mental health issues due to the lockdowns. I also honored the first responders, nurses, doctors, military personnel & front-line workers who have sacrificed so much so the rest of us can live somewhat normal lives. It is a miracle we could even have the 125th Boston Marathon despite the challenges we are currently facing.

I love the crowds at the Boston Marathon, and keep coming back to hear the cheers of U-S-A and Go Army. They don’t see my Sikh articles of faith or someone who stands out from the rest of our personnel. The American people see me as a regular soldier who has taken the oath to preserve, defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign & domestic, and to serve our communities as a member of the National Guard during our time of need. This is why we fought so hard for religious freedoms for all our service-members.

I hope to be back for my fourth Boston Marathon March in April 2022. I keep falling back in love with Boston each time I do the marathon march, despite our harsh winters. #BostonStrong #ArmyStrong #NationsFirst