A clarification about my son Ryan Shay. He was not poor.

Thanks Joe. Im very impressed by saucony honoring Ryans contract. May Ryans memory last forever.

mr. shay,

you are an amazing person. when many people come to letsrun and say things i simply am shocked to read, you write so beautifully.

thank you for showing us how to conduct ourselves. in a time when your family must be so hurt we know there is a higher way for all of us to behave because of your wisdom and grace.

You have been exemplary throughout this entire ordeal. I tell the high school kids that I coach that it is in defeat, or when things aren't going well that their character is developed. It's no wonder your son had the dedication, passion and desire to strive to accomplish his goals. Thank you.

Ryan shay was a great man. I hope his son will have things to remember his great dad of. I think someone should get shirts made that says

"Shay lives" or something in memory of ryan

RIP RS

We all miss Ryan and wish you well. I know that he would be very proud of you for the grace and honor that you have shown, despite your terrible loss.

Ryan has been and will continue to be an inspiration to me and so many others. God Bless

Thank you so much Joe for sharing your son with the rest of the running community. I think the wealth he truly had was and is not measured in dollars and cents however it is in the impact he is leaving on the running community. This is the type of wealth that I am sure that you as a parent can be really proud of and will hopefully help in this long process. Hero, son, brother, husband and many more powerful terms have been shared and heard to me as both a runner and a husband it makes me want to strive for success even harder. Financially this wealth will and has provided it sounds like for generations to come which is a true blessing from above. Thank you.

Mr. Shay,

I am sorry that I never had the chance to meet or train with Ryan. I heard that he was a real tough guy, and it is a great loss to the world that he's gone.

shay fan wrote:

thank you for showing us how to conduct ourselves. in a time when your family must be so hurt we know there is a higher way for all of us to behave because of your wisdom and grace.

could not have been said better...

jollyjogger wrote:

Thanks Joe. Im very impressed by saucony honoring Ryans contract. May Ryans memory last forever.

impressed with saucony's honor - i'm going out later today to buy a pair of saucony's to try out.

Mr. Shay,

From all of us in the running community we soulute you and your son.

Mr. Shay,

Thanks for writing this and I hope you and your family are healthy and doing as well as you can in this hard time.

I'm guessing here, but I'm thinking your response was brought on by the since deleted thread from Friday. Thanks you for showing both sides in that discussion the proper and dignified way to answer questions in tough situations like this.

I don't think anyone meant to imply that Ryan was poor or anyone "needed " money.All anyone seemed to want to know was the best place we could help and where you and your family would most like to see the funds donated.

I think things may get unruly here occasionally, but you and your family should know that you have nothing but the 100% support from everyone in the running community.

Best wishes to you and your family.

Mr. Shay,

Your son will be missed - not only as a worthy competitor, but also as a young man of character and integrity. Coming from a father of a son of similar age, I can't begin to fathom your grief. God bless you all. As mentioned, much thanks to Saucony for their integrity of honoring a contract - says a lot about the folks at the helm.

Joe,

My most heartfelt condolances. I know you were very proud of Ryan. I was the high school coach of Travis Landreth at Newburyport High in Newburyport, Ma. Trav competed against Ryan while he was an athlete at UConn in the Big East. Trav was, I believe 3 years ahead of Ryan. Travis as you may well know, died while on a training run with his Nike Farm Team teammates in Palo Alto in 2001 at the age of 24. Ryan and Travis were in many ways much the same- two outstanding young men who were living out there dream and who did not want to someday ask themselves " I wonder what I could have been?". There is an empty place in my life without Trav- I cannot begin to imagine what it is for you.

I write to let you know what we do here in Newburyport with the Travis Landreth Scholarship Foundation. Each May we have the Trav's Trail Run on our NHS xc course sponsered primarialy by Nike were we raise funds for the scholarship fund. Monies are donated to an NHS xc/track scholarship or scholarships, to Green Mountain Running Camp in Vt., to the Road Runner's Club of America "Roads Scholarship" program, and to ZAP fitness in No. Carolina, a post collegiete training center. We are always looking for other worthwhile areas to use our funds.

I'm informing you of this to both give you an idea of where you may want to use the funds you have and to let you know that ther may be a way we can work together to work towards the same goal.

If you desire and at your convience, let me know what you think.

Most sincerely,

Don Hennigar

Newburyport High xc/track

Joe,

My most heartfelt condolances. I know you were very proud of Ryan. I was the high school coach of Travis Landreth at Newburyport High in Newburyport, Ma. Trav competed against Ryan while he was an athlete at UConn in the Big East. Trav was, I believe 3 years ahead of Ryan. Travis as you may well know, died while on a training run with his Nike Farm Team teammates in Palo Alto in 2001 at the age of 24. Ryan and Travis were in many ways much the same- two outstanding young men who were living out there dream and who did not want to someday ask themselves " I wonder what I could have been?". There is an empty place in my life without Trav- I cannot begin to imagine what it is for you.

I write to let you know what we do here in Newburyport with the Travis Landreth Scholarship Foundation. Each May we have the Trav's Trail Run on our NHS xc course sponsered primarialy by Nike were we raise funds for the scholarship fund. Monies are donated to an NHS xc/track scholarship or scholarships, to Green Mountain Running Camp in Vt., to the Road Runner's Club of America "Roads Scholarship" program, and to ZAP fitness in No. Carolina, a post collegiete training center. We are always looking for other worthwhile areas to use our funds.

I'm informing you of this to both give you an idea of where you may want to use the funds you have and to let you know that ther may be a way we can work together to work towards the same goal.

If you desire and at your convience, let me know what you think.

Most sincerely,

Don Hennigar

Newburyport High xc/track

Dear Mr Shay

Your postings on this website have been truely humbling. That you can take the time to say what you are doing is inspiring. Thank you.

Very best wishes for your plans.

E

Understated wrote:

shay fan wrote:

thank you for showing us how to conduct ourselves. in a time when your family must be so hurt we know there is a higher way for all of us to behave because of your wisdom and grace.

could not have been said better...

Let me third that.

somehomodude wrote:

Understated wrote:

could not have been said better...

Let me third that.

understated, somehomodude, anyone else with sympathic thoughts,

this isn't about me but thank you. i didn't feel my identity was necessary. i know don hennigar and the landreth family, very good people. i don't know the shays but as a long time fan of the sport i did know of their place in our sport. we all have a chance to do positive things with running as a common denominator. running is hard yet running is also bliss. ryan shay exemplified this, so did travis landreth and my dear friend andy palmer.

please follow mr. shays example and do good for the sport, our families, ourselves. take the road mr. shay and ryan, travis and andy have taken. it is a noble, strong, hard and pleasing way to live. capture each moment you have, share this life, be good to all.

I'd go out and buy a pair but I own three already. They are my shoe brand and I supplement my fleet with the occasional NB or Mizuno.

I think it would be really cool if Saucony named a shoe after Ryan. Of course they'd need the permission of his family. Perhaps a portion of the sale price would go to the Ryan Shay Foundation. A stable cushioned racing flat would fit into their selection nicely...something HS'ers could wear for races and faster guys wear for ltwt trainers, and everyone for marathons.