Today marks the 50th anniversary of the President Kennedy assassination right here in Dallas. I grew up in Ohio, and I wasn’t alive back then, but I know all about it…as most people do. Being the 50th, it was kind of a big day in Dallas today. They had a big ceremony at the site, and it’s all they’ve been talking about all week on the radio and local TV.
If you’ve ever been to Dallas, you probably did the tourist thing and visited the Texas School Book Depository and the museum on the assassination that it now hosts. You’ve probably strolled the grassy knoll. I’ve been down there countless times as visiting guests usually want to see it.
Now, what you may not know is that many of the road races downtown run right down that same street. Right along the same path as the President’s motorcade. Every time I run one of those courses, I always feel a little weird. Especially since there is an X painted on the spot where he was shot.
Yes, we run over this in some races.
I don’t know if these race directors do this on purpose, or if it is out of convenience. But I’m guessing it’s intentional. Do races in DC go past Ford’s Theater where Lincoln was shot? I have no idea, but I think it’d be weird there too.
I think I’m wearing the same sweet cargo shorts.
Anyway, I love love love history. My dad does too. And so pretty soon after we moved to Dallas, we decided to go see the sites dealing with the assassination. We saw Lee Harvey Oswald’s residences, the Texas Theater where he was arrested, where Officer Tippet was shot, etc.
During that sightseeing trip, we had a really bizarre encounter. We were trying to find one of LHO’s houses. We were driving slowly down the street checking the addresses, when a woman came running out and asked us if we were “Looking for Lee Harvey?” We said yes, and she invited us into his old house. Then she took us into the backyard where the famous photo of him holding the gun and paper were supposedly taken. She went back into the house and came back with a rifle and newspaper, and instructed me to pose in the exact same spot as LHO had. It was weird.
I’m just a patsy!
All she asked in exchange for the photo op was our address so she could send a Christmas card. Like I said, bizarre.
I’ve been to the JFK eternal flame in DC. And I’ve seen a statue of him in Ireland. As for LHO, I also saw where he was arrested once in New Orleans. And on a tour there, the guide pointed out a hotel that he said Kennedy had once stayed while at the same time around the corner was a school that he said LHO was attending. I’ve run two half marathons in New Orleans, and I always think about those to spots when we run past them.
I’m a sucker for the fleur de lis.
What about y’all. Ever been to Dallas and visited Dealey Plaza? Ever run by anything historical? Do you want my address so you can send me a Christmas card?
Piratebobcat 
I haven’t run through much historical that I can think of right now. . . but we are going to Austria in February (umm cold) for our honeymoon and I plan to log some cold miles on the shoes. I imagine there will be some cool scenery there!
That’ll be awesome! Make sure to run past Sydney Harbour!
I’m going to pull out the immigrant card here as to why I’ve lived in the DFW area for almost two years and haven’t gone to any of these sites.
Good news is they’ve survived for 50 years, so they may still be around for a while so you can check them out.
That would be weird to run over the spot where JFK was shot! Hmm my rule is never give a stranger with a rifle your address. Lol what a weird encounter. Did you get a Christmas card from her?
It is weird. And not to mention that over the years other people have died on that spot – for some reason people like to go there to commit suicide.
Hahaha, I like your rule! We did get cards from her for a couple years. So weird.
Oh man that’s crazy- the suicide thing and the Christmas card thing lol.
Wow. Fascinating. I’ve just been listening to BBC radio and they’ve been doing a minute by minute reconstruction of 50 years ago.
That picture is somehow amazing and a little macabre- I love it! Sounds like a weird woman!
Oh yea, I never thought about how it was reported in other parts of the world. Interesting. They replayed the entire TV broadcast here all day. Very interesting.
Yes, it is macabre – that said, I also really enjoyed my visit to Mary King’s Close in Edinburgh, so there’s that.
Oooh, I LOVE Mary Kings close, and the ghost tours too!
With the overabundance of important historical sites in Nebraska, it’s amazing I’ve never run at one! OK, all kidding aside-I guess the run I took in Rome near the colosseum will have to do, although it was not a race per se. Why did I not think to run across Circus Maximus until right now? That would have been awesome!
Haha, isn’t there like a Coach Osborne statue or something you could run past?
That would be really cool to run in Rome. I visited a few years back but didn’t have my running shoes. My buddy did the marathon there this past year. That would be an experience!
Great post…but I’m laughing at the pic with your wife and her gang. You look like you either photobombed it or were Photoshopped in!
Haha, I do like to photobomb Phillipino tourists whenever I can!
I don’t recall every running past any major historical sites like you have. Sounds like you had a great time though! Can’t wait to hear when you get the Christmas card!
Haha, that was several years ago…and she actually did send one!!!
They paved over the X for the celebrations and as I type this, the guy that makes sure the X stays eternal was on Dallas TV (channel 8) WFAA news because he painted it back on.
I saw that too! They said that over the years they occasionally repave it and someone always comes back and repaints the x.
That’s crazy about the X spot and people that go there to commit suicide. I have lived in Big D all my life and Pirate Bobcat speaketh the truth.
Hahaha, thanks! It’s pretty karazy! Interesting to check it out in person!