By Maggie Vanoni
Eugene local Karalis Tavernier cheered on his brother Lyle and 2,470 other runners in the Eugene Marathon on Sunday by holding a sign that reads “I’m Proud of You, Complete Stranger.”
“I ran the marathon once and it was really hard, but I got a lot of support from the fans holding signs,” said Tavernier. “So, I thought that I would do it since I don’t run anymore.”
Tavernier ran the full 26.2-mile race 10 years ago at the very first annual Eugene Marathon. He has been to every Eugene Marathon as a community member cheering on the multitude of runners with his sign.
Lyle finished the half marathon in an hour 59 minutes and 17 seconds, placing 73rd out of the 123 runners in his age group. This year’s half marathon marked his 12th time racing the 13.1-mile distance.
“When Lyle ran by me he said, ‘I’m not a stranger, I’m your brother!’” said Tavernier.
As runners pass by Tavernier’s sign, their reactions range from high-fives and smiles to shouts of ‘thank you’ and ‘I love you.’ In a previous year, he even recalls getting proposed to mid-race by a runner because of his sign. This year Tavernier’s favorite moment was when a woman came up to him after the race and asked to take a picture with him. The woman said his sign helped encouraged her throughout the race.
“The good energy was really helpful,” said half-marathon runner Melissa Olsen. “When you start to feel tired, you can absorb that energy and put it into your running. Seeing his sign made me smile because of that.”
Other runners thanked him for his support, which made them feel welcomed to Eugene.
“I wish I could thank him for his sign and the emotional connection I felt with him,” said half-marathon runner Ellen Want from Medford, Oregon. “Even though I didn’t know him at all.”
Tavernier said he loves being a part of the Eugene running community because of the support and friendliness of the everyone whether a fellow runner or fellow spectator.
“Running is such an individual sport,” said Tavernier. “Unlike football or basketball, when you’re cheering there’s no rooting against anyone. Here you just hope everyone does well.”
The generous support from Eugene community members, like Tavernier, helped to inspire runners to finish the marathon.
“The cheerers made it feel very communal,” said Want. “It’s like you’re doing it for other people. I don’t think I was doing it for myself, I mean, otherwise I would have stopped.”
Tavernier plans to attend future Eugene Marathons and will continue to cheer on runners with his sign.
