Image Credit: TCS New York City Marathon 50
Last year, like many live events, the New York City Marathon was virtual. It was the first-time in its 50-year history that runners from all over the world did not meet in NYC to run the world renowned 26.2 miles through all 5 boroughs of New York City. This Sunday, the New York City Marathon is back and will celebrate its 50th year!
It has been 20 years since I ran the New York City marathon and I remember almost every mile. Six weeks earlier, the 9/11 event shook the city but New Yorkers and the world were showing resolve and kicking-off the race anyway. While waiting and stretching, my running partner and I went to a prayer tent; and prayed with other runners as we got ready to line-up.
At the starter’s line, I actually looked up and saw the snipers with guns on the Staten Island Bridge. I heard and saw the helicopters hovering. It dawned on me that, crap, something bad could happen. Thankfully, the race was off and I did not have much time to think about it. Plus, seeing male runners do the ceremonial act of peeing over the bridge moved my images of darkness to one of humor.
I had been training for the marathon with a running mate who was 10 years my junior. She was fun to talk to and I loved running with her. We were not fast runners. We always ran about a 10-minute mile. We got through Staten Island cut through Brooklyn and stopped for a bathroom break. We ran through a really cute area that I was not aware of. The streets were lined with people, since we started, and it was invigorating! At one point, we were going too fast (for our pace) and knew that we had to slow it down to finish the 26.2 miles.
One feeling that will always stay with me for all of my days was running off the 59th Street Queensboro Bridge (I think it is now called the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge), coming around the bend to the roar of the crowd. We were in Manhattan/NYC and there was no other borough like it. A dear friend was there with Gatorade for me around East 61st Street and her encouragement and beaming smile said everything! The energy of the crowd propelled me to East 90th street where the crowd weaned again.
The Upper East Side was where I called home and there was something comforting about running through my neighborhood.
Running through Harlem was quiet as was crossing the Third Avenue Bridge. Once I crossed the bridge, I saw the sign that said 10k left and my running partner and I knew we could do that –only 6.2 miles left! We were thankful for the spectators that were still out cheering us on. As we were running 10-minute miles the faster runners had long finished! The people that lingered to encourage the slowest runners were much appreciated.
In the upper 100s on 5th Avenue there was another dear friend waiting for me. Pushing me on and telling me that I looked great! I was elated because I felt good too.
Running down 5th Avenue, I entered Central Park at East 90th street. Now I was truly home, I trained in the New York City’s Central Park (and I knew every curve and historical sight). My future husband was there waiting for me, cheering me on, and clicking photos. The crowd was deep and their cheers willed my legs to move a little faster and there it was the finish line was in sight.
I crossed it and I was elated. I just completed the NYC Marathon - 2001. It was not fast, but I did it. After fighting cancer the previous year, enduring the tragedy of 9/11 six weeks prior to the marathon, the completion was the culmination of two of the hardest fights I would have in my life. Now that we see that the pandemic will most likely not leave us soon, it is the NYC Marathon that will be the spirit in helping us fight another big battle.
Welcome back, NYC Marathon and Happy 50th Birthday!
Sonya Ruff Jarvis, a life-long marketer, has been a corporate executive, bible study teacher, organizer of events with tens of thousands attendees and now a successful small business owner. And through all of this, Sonya has run the New York City Marathon, survived breast cancer and created an innovative business-to-business customer relationship model. She and her husband live in Connecticut with their daughter and their Havanese dog, Sadie, who completes their family.