I was overwhelmed by the love that New York had for all the runners. I planned on attending the event with my mom and dad; however, in June of this year I lost my father unexpectedly. I ran a marathon before in Philly and he was there to cheer me on and give me a kiss at the halfway point and wrap his arms around me at the finish. He was one of my biggest cheerleaders and my best friend. I attended the event with my mom and my godmother; they are wonderful supporters but neither were my dad. I didnt know how I would feel on race day knowing that I wouldnt see him at the finish. That morning I was full of emotions: I was running in honor of my best friend battling cancer with Team Determination and I was now running with a guardian angle. With the wind gusting through the city and the step bridges I was truly challenged being that I trained in Philly which was rather flat. From the second I crossed over the first bridge, the support was amazing. Every inch of the course was full of people. As I crossed the Queensboro Bridge, everyone was right: You could hear the roar of the crowd. My mom and aunt were there to give me a kiss and cheer me on. My dad wasnt there to wrap his arms around me and I felt that absence but I really felt the city of New York wrap its arms around me. I struggled with the second half of the race but I have all of those New Yorkers, all those supporters, motivation of a strong friend, and a guardian angel to thank for my finish. I cant thank everyone involved in the race enough for making it an amazing experience, everyone who shouted my name, handed me water or wrapped me in my poncho at the end made a difficult day all that much easier. Thanks, New York. --Lauren T.
Posted on: Wed, 19 Nov 2014 10:10:00 +0000
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