NYC Marathon Memories!

"The New York Marathon: a fantastic event."  Pope John Paul II, 1982

We are less than a week away from the 2009 NYC Marathon, the showcase of the sport of road running. This Sunday I'll be lining up for my 8th NYC Marathon and my 15th overall.  

At age 56, running IS my sport at this stage in my life. Running has become the "icing on the cake" as I've participated in other sports during my lifetime. I played ice hockey in college and played other sports as well but, running has left an indelible mark on my soul that no other sport can match. Running has given me many memories to be cherished. It's also given me some that are not so cherished but those experiences have presented me with opportunities to learn!

When I think of the cherished running experiences, nothing comes CLOSE to the memories I have of participating in the NYC Marathon.


This years race will mark the first trip to the starting line for me since my dad died in March of 2008. Until he was no longer able to, he used to line up on Crescent Street in Queens, with my mom, my wife Jill, and my daughter ("his girl") Jackie, wearing his Fleet Feet hat, patiently waiting for my brother Larry, and I to pass, so he could cheer us on! No doubt, when I pass "his spot" Sunday, I'll "see" Dad standing there, and I'm certain his spirit will help me as I begin my assent onto the 59th street bridge. 


My first NYC Marathon was in 2000. My brother Larry, had run a few NYC's before me. He was at the starting line with me. As we wished each other good luck before the start of the National Anthem, he looked at me and said, "This is a good one! Enjoy every minute! You have no idea what you're going to experience!"
His words were prophetic but, little did I realize that they would also extend to the NYC Marathons I'd run AFTER my maiden race!


In 2001, the running of the NYC Marathon was held in the shadow of  the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11th.  My brother and I lost our cousin David in Tower 1, as he was an employee of Cantor Fitzgerald. When we entered the runners complex in Staten Island, the security was so tight it was as  if we were entering CIA in Langley. There were National Guardsman and NYPD everywhere. As you looked at the Verrazano Bridge, there were serviceman atop the spans carrying rifles. There were boats patrolling the base of the bridge that would surround the tugs that traditionally spray red, white and blue water, as the runners crossed the bridge into Brooklyn. When the gun went of to start the race, there was an eerie quiet as we crossed the Verrazano.  Yes we lost our cousin but, as we looked at the NYC skyline from the bridge, there was a huge hole in that famous view, because the Towers, as we knew them, were gone forever and recovery efforts were ongoing at Ground Zero as we were running. In short, 2001's running of the NYC Marathon was a stark reminder that America was at war yet, our spirit would never be diminished, nor would we ever allow a terrorist organization stop us from living the life we know as Americans.  When I crossed the finish line in 2001, it wasn't crossed in a spirit of jubilation, it was crossed in prayer!

The 2004 NYC Marathon almost cost me my life! This didn't happen as a result of running the race but getting TO the race. There was extremely heavy traffic leading to the "drop off area" and my wife who was driving us had to take a detour or there was a risk that we'd miss the start! BOOOO! We arrived at an area in Staten Island that gave us reasonable access to the start area and I was on my way when a friend who was riding with us said "hold it up a second. I want to leave something in the car." Well, I turned around just in time to dodge an oncoming car, that crashed through the wooden barricades that were set up, and proceeded to then slam into a row of parked cars. The oncoming car missed me by about 2 feet, IF that! Had my friend not "hesitated" which caused me to "turn back," that car would've hit me from behind and crushed me between it and the parked cars it crashed into.  My daughter, who came along for the ride, witnessed all this. She was hysterically crying and begging me not to run. Naturally I ignored her and ran the race. It wasn't one of my better efforts as I couldn't shake the thoughts of  how close that car had come to crushing me to death. 


In 2005, the NYC Marathon would test not only my perseverance, but also that of my buddy Bobby who started the race with me. (Please read my October 2 blog which outlines Bobby's race.) Well, that year, I also was "tested" by the NYC Marathon course as I said earlier, but in a much less life threatening way than Bobby was. My knee was bothering me quit a bit during training that year and my doctor ordered an MRI on it the Thursday before the race. I didn't get the results by race day on Sunday and started the race with Bobby not knowing that I had torn cartilage in that knee. Another of my friends was going to watch the race and told me she'd be at mile 19 and to look for her. Well at about mile 16, on the 59th street bridge my knee was on fire! I decided that at mile 19 not only would I look for Ronnie but, ask her if she could drive me to the finish line to pick up my stuff because I was intending to drop out. I got to mile 19, couldn't find Ronnie and said to myself, I'd run through the Bronx, and when I re-enter Manhattan I'd drop out then when I could hop a subway to pick up my stuff at the baggage pick up area. Well, I saw the subway station on 5th Ave, but, as I looked ahead, about 200 yards away I saw the mile 23 sign! Well, the idiot that I was said, "screw this, no way I'm dropping out with a little over 3 miles to go!" So, I ran, hobbled, limped, call it whatever you want, to the finish line and found out the Tuesday after the race that I needed to have surgery #2 on my right knee! 


I could write here at length about my experiences in the other years running the NYC Marathon but, I'd be going on forever and you probably have better things to do and read! 

But........



......The bottom line is, in the scheme of the NYC Marathon, I'm a pretty insignificant part! I represent one runner out of hundreds of thousands who've also run one or more NYC Marathons! If ONE person, like me,  has so many unforgettable memories and experiences running the NYC Marathon, imagine how many there are that other runners also have to share! I'd love for you to share yours with me here in this blog so, please leave a comment!

Yes, Pope John Paul, "the New York Marathon, a FANTASTIC event!"