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.

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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