A glorious race and a time to exult after Jim Foley's tormentors get a reckoning

Diane Foley, right, congratulates Cameron Cook of Dover, the winner of Saturday's James W. Foley Freedom Run. (Rochester Voice photos)

ROCHESTER - The mother of slain journalist Jim Foley said on Saturday that to get the two recently sentenced killers of her son to the United States to stand trial they had to agree with the United Kingdom not to impose a death sentence.
"That was easy for me," Diane Foley told The Rochester Voice on Saturday soon after hundreds of runners had bolted, trotted, jogged or sauntered with baby strollers or dogs out of the starting gate during the eighth annual James W. Foley Freedom 5K Run.

A SEA OF PINK: A massive pink wave makes its way past the James W. Foley Memorial Community Center at the start of the Foley Freedom Run on Saturday.

"We had to let the death penalty go, which I had no problem with," she said. "I don't believe in that. I think they should have some time to think about what they did that way."
In April a jury convicted a former British national, El Shafee Elsheikh, 33, on charges including lethal hostage-taking and conspiracy to commit murder.
Elsheikh, part of a foursome called the

SOME WALKED, SOME TALKED: After the first contingent of serious runners sped out of the gate it was a hodgepodge of folks not in such a hurry

Beatles due to their British accents, was sentenced to life in prison in August for his role in the kidnapping of 26 hostages and murders of four, including Foley.
In September 2021 Alexanda Kotey, 38, another of the group known as the Beatles, pleaded guilty on similar charges and was also sentenced to life in prison.
Diane Foley said it's only right that the men who brought such misery to her son and other hostages should have time to reflect on their actions.
As a sea of pink T-shirted runners honoring her son left the parking lot of the Community Center that bears his name, Diane

Maxime Bonnaud of Portsmouth finishes second just one second ahead of 14-year-old Logan Crosby of Rochester, a varsity player on the Spaulding High soccer team.

Foley said the fight to protect journalists and all Americans held abroad by foreign governments goes on.
"It's very hard to hold captors of Americans accountable when they're on foreign soil," she said. "But pressure from families like ours are finally getting them to listen."
She said the Biden administration had been very slow out of the gate in their participation with the

Jeff Ketel of Rochester said he loves the 5K because he gets to run right by his house.

Foley Foundation, but just recently had begun to show signs of bolstering their support.
"After a very slow start they are finally being more active in our efforts," she said.
As the runners finished the 5K, Foley and her husband, John, cheered their efforts and handed out water bottles.
Foley, a freelance journalist and war correspondent, was beheaded by ISIS in 2014 after nearly two years in captivity in northern Syria. The James W. Foley Legacy Foundation was created the same year by his family to improve the safety and treatment of independent freelance conflict journalists, to advocate for the safe return of Americans kidnapped abroad and to improve U.S. hostage policy.
Despite the sadness that envelopes the remembrance of the horrors that Jim

FREEDOM RUN, THEN BEER RUN: Beers were at the ready in the James W. Foley Memorial Community Center back parking lot as soon as Saturday's race was over.

suffered, the fight that goes on in his honor stands as a never ending tribute, and the crowd of runners doing the 5K in his honor were almost ebullient in their mission. Pink "I Run for Jim" T-shirts were everywhere.
The race was won by Cameron Cook, of Dover, who bested his previous Freedom Run record by almost a minute, coming in at 15:37.
Cook, who said it was one or two seconds of his personal best, told The Voice he loved the course, which is pretty much flat.
"This is a great race," he said. "There is so much energy. It's one of the best."
Coming in third at 19:55 was 14-year-old Logan Crosby of Rochester, a freshman at Spaulding and member of the varsity soccer team.
Jeff Ketel, who came in 23rd at 22:20, said it was his sixth time running the race.
"I love this race, I get to run right by my house on Orchard Street," he laughed.
Top 25 finishers.