Thousands of people. Little to no security. That’s what the Secret Service faced protecting the Estonian President during a marathon.
Assistant Special Agent in Charge Mason Brayman and Lieutenant Bill Uher dominated those challenges when they successfully shadowed President Kersti Kaljulaid, allowing her to run the NYC Marathon.
“A lot can go wrong in 26 miles, even without added concerns about protecting a dignitary,” said Brayman. “In any race, there could be medical emergencies or physical breakdown due to being ill-prepared.”
Even more impressive is that that the agents didn’t know they would be running in the race until four days before.
“I said I’d be ready if the Estonian President decided to run the race,” said Uher. “That potential gave me a good excuse to get out there and train.”
All three successfully completed the New York City Marathon without incident.