Death at the Olympic Trials

A world class marathoner named Ryan Shay collapsed and died today during the US Olympic Team marathon trials. He was 28 years old. The NYT online had a picture of him standing at the starting line in a black stocking cap and red gloves on this very cool, fine marathon weather morning, looking like he was going to live for another sixty years, and he had maybe 45 minutes. I cannot get this out of my mind. It happened by the Boat House where my wife and I had lunch at a table next to Bono last Monday. I know all of these places now. They are not just names in a newspaper story. Tomorrow or some time day soon I will ride my bicycle past the site. Wakes up this morning thinking about the Olympics and tonight his wife is a widow. As the William Maxwell story I read last night said, a capacious God indeed.