runningwithfaith

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These days life is a marathon: a long, sometimes tough, sometimes enjoyable, but always enduring experience. And our city is caught smack in the middle of what I refer to as, the throes of a malady – marathon fever. This feeling, though widely prevalent, is not unique to New York City, for while we boast a ridiculous amount of runners and the largest marathon around – the TCS New York City marathon – the running obsession that hits here in the month of October is sure to be similar to cities around the world that are part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors (WMM).

The WMM is a premier racing event where runners take part in six stipulated marathons to earn the coveted title and medal of world marathon major. Thus, I’m sure cities such as London, Berlin, Tokyo, Chicago and Boston are similarly prone to this type of marathon-induced crazy that characterizes NYC these days. Notwithstanding, New York’s marathon, which is November 5 this year, October happened and with such a bang with so many marathons and half marathons happening around the United States, some very close to home, one could be forgiven for missing out on the change in weather, which certainly must have something to do with the hike in running. We had the Marine Corps marathon last weekend, which I ran, the Chicago marathon, the Steamboat marathon, and the Staten Island Half marathon, which I also ran, and which were all the weekend before last. Apparently we like to keep it pretty busy around here. This has all served to keep the pressure on and have everyone either on their A game or on the edge.

As such, the city is busy trying to keep up with the countdown that’s underway. Even if one is not running the New York City (NYC) marathon, chances are good you either have friends who are or know someone who is or a few who are – hence everyone’s involvement. While I’m not running it this year, I do have ongoing plans to try to qualify for next year after wrapping up two races in the last two weeks. With all the attention it’s getting, it’s fair to say the NYC marathon is the hottest ticket in town for the running community and no expense (where the currency is time) is spared by runners in ensuring they have the best seats in the house, whether that is on the course running or cheering on fellow runners. In the days ahead, as we whine down the year, there will be more races to come. For now, my part will be out there cheering my heart out for those running folks who’ve earned their spot on the world stage, if only for a moment, hoping to inspire the run of a lifetime.