Sunday, November 5th,
2017 was the 47th annual TCS NYC Marathon since it started in 1970.
This year’s theme was “It Will Move You” and I have to say that, if you were
one of the millions of spectators who gathered together to cheer the runners on
from the sideline, some of the things that you saw would have really moved you
in so many ways.
A medley of over 51,000 world
citizens chose to fight to the finish line of this 26.2-mile journey in the
misty cool temperatures from the starting line at the foot of the Verrazano
Bridge in Staten Island all the way to the end at West Drive in Central Park
near Tavern on the Green in Manhattan.
This year was my fourth year
straight rooting from the sidelines with a jamboree of songs and encouragement.
Some of the teams that ran past my group as we sang to the melody of their feet
hitting the pavement were Strides NYC, Harlem Run, Latin Runners Club, Willpower
Fitness, Team for Kids, Black Girls Run, Black Men Run, Italian American
Running Club and Front Runners NY, just to name a few. What I noticed was that
there were more runners this year than I had ever seen in the past. And what a
medley of them where you saw all types of people; big and chunky, small and
lanky, lean and young, thick and gray, black people, white people and all types
of men and women from all over the world all exhilarated to run, walk or get
through the stretch in the best way that they could.
36-year-old Shalane Flanagan
came in first place being the first American woman since 1977 to have won the
NYC marathon. And the first man to cross the finish line was 24-year-old man
from Kenya, Geoffrey Kamworo. And then in the wheelchair division the first
woman to cross the finish line was Manuela Schar and the 1st male to
cross was Marcel Hug, both from Switzerland. But it wasn’t the fast runners
with their collective energy that thrilled me the most, making me feel excited
as we danced, sang, snapped selfies with some of the runners who stopped to
thank us or give us a hi-five while encouraging the crowd of on viewers in Bay
Ridge to make some noise for the runners.
It was the people who were in
wheelchairs, those who were running with their trainers because they just got off
of hip surgery but wanted to attempt the 26.2-mile run anyway, and
the ones that were on crutches with one leg and still trying the run on for size anyway that made
me feel overcome with emotion. As the slogan for this year said, I was really
moved by them. I have walked 10.5 miles in about two and a half hours but that
was it. I have never run 10 miles though. But these people who truly physically can't are thrusting through with all the power God gave them to at least try and that is something.
Sad to think of all the times that I complain about the
little things like my train not stopping at my stop unexpectedly due to track repairs and having to walk a few extra blocks to get home with my two working legs and capable body, yet those without were able to put all their
troubles aside to do something that seemed almost impossible without
complaining and happy to take such a chance. Seeing them proved that nothing is
impossible. I mean, in all honesty, would you attempt running a marathon after
just one month of hip surgery? The courage it takes to be able to use the one
working leg you have to run; I am amazed by that.
Check out a mini slideshow
from where we were snuggly positioned from the sidelines in the Bay Ridge
section of Brooklyn, NY. You can watch it here: https://youtu.be/gdNCcSY4U0Q
Congratulations to all of the
runners and thank you for all of the inspiration that each and every one of you
provide.
