Why not the New York Marathon (Part 4)

As an accountant, I was fascinated with some of the figures which I found when researching how much I could make a difference. $50 funds one hour of cancer cure research. $1,900 funds one week and $7,000 funds one month and $90,000 funds one year of vital cancer research.

This was a win win situation  for me. If I could raise enough funds for this cause, Cure Cancer Australia would be able to offer me a place in the 2011 New York Marathon. My aim is to raise $15,000 for the Cure Cancer Australia Foundation.

So goal checklist is:

    CA – Tick

    Travel – Tick (well first tick anyway)

    Bike riding – Tick, crash

    Running – Tick

    Dad – Tick

    Getting into the New York Marathon – Tick

Now all I had to do was train and raise $15,000.

The first New York Marathon was a humble affair. In 1970, 127 runners paid the $1 entry fee to the New York Road Runners Club to participate in the 42.2 km race that looped several times within central park. Of the 127 starters, only 55 runners crossed the finish line. Not a comforting statistic. In 2010, 40 years after the inaugural race, the New York Marathon saw the biggest ever marathon field the world over, with 45,350 runners competing. And in 2011, I am hoping to be among the crowds of thousand trying to fulfil a dream.

In 1976, six year after the running of the first New York Marathon, its co-founder, Fred Lebow redrew the course to run through all five of New York’s boughs. This is how the course stands today and it is a tough one.

 

Looks long on paper

At the boom of a canon, the runners set off - uphill! Starting on Staten Island the course then travels over the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, the first of five bridges in the course. Sadly the runners are required to run this rather than take the Staten Island ferry over the water to Brooklyn. The route then travels through Brooklyn, where I hope to get swept up in the excitement of the event and not actually notice I am running.

Making it through Brooklyn, we then venture into Queens which hides the steeper hills of the course and then crosses into Manhattan, where the largest and loudest crowds gather. The course is lined with over 130 bands to take the runner’s mind off of the pain they are feeling. I can imagine by this point some friendly encouragement from the crowds will be greatly appreciated.

We don’t stay long in Manhattan before we head up to the Bronx, crossing another two bridges before returning to Manhattan and heading through Harlem, enjoying the gospel singers at churches along the way. Finally, it is on to the very welcome sight of Central Park and the FINISH LINE.

I can’t actually imagine the feeling and sense of accomplishment I am going to feel as I cross the finish line (in what ever fashion I am able to). All I know is that it is going to be fantastic!