I Run Therefore I Am: The NYC Marathon

“When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life.” Samuel Johnson made this observation about his beloved hometown in 1777. I feel that way about New York, New York – a city so big they had to name it twice. There’s always a new neighborhood to explore or event to attend and I simply can’t get enough of the people who live, work and visit this terrific town.

This past weekend the city cheered on over 50,000 citizens of the world running in the New York City Marathon. The 26.2 mile course traverses all 5 boroughs, beginning on the Verrazano Bridge and ending at Tavern on the Green in Central Park.

Despite gusty winds that made it seem colder than it was, well-wishers lined the streets to enthusiastically support the participants. While competitive runners can complete the distance in just over 2 hours, the average time for amateurs is about 4 hours, 15 minutes.

Over 100 countries and all 50 states were represented and many of the runners and their fans showed their national pride. I was most inspired by the disabled runners, competing in their racing wheelchairs, some assisted by dedicated volunteers. And the visibly hurt runners, who continued to push through their pain to reach the end.

Many children were cheering loudly for Mommy and some people raced the entire distance wearing wacky costumes. Each had their moment in Sunday’s autumn sun and I hope they wear their completion medals for weeks to come. They earned it.