With phenominal final-mile surges, Martin Lel of Kenya (2:09:04) and Paula Radcliffe of Great Britain (2:23:09) led the way to two very close races in both the men's and women's categories of the 2007 ING New York City Marathon this morning. Especially inspiring was Radcliffe's performance, in her first marathon since becoming a mother earlier this year. This race will mark her seventh win out of eight marathons she has competed in. Just incredible!Tens of thousands of runners from all over the world took to the streets in the marathon today. With roughly 39,000 participants in total, I'm sure many memories were made along the way. Just crossing that finish line in Central Park must be one of the greatest thrills of a lifetime these runners will experience.
Another famous face in the crowd happened to be Lance Armstrong, running in his second New York City marathon. He finished in 2:46:43, a much better performance than his debut last year. He ran the 2006 New York Marathon in 2:59:36. "It felt better than last year," he said during a television interview moments after finishing the race. "I suffered less. The pounding was easier, the experience of having done it before. Last year, the last 10 miles I didn't pay attention to anything. I was focused on finishing. This year I was able to see more. The last mile I could have stopped." Armstrong apparently also added that it is unlikely he would compete in another marathon. Hmmm, that's too bad ... I was hoping to give him a run for his money in next year's event (I am just kidding, of course.) But my goal to join him at the 2008 starting line still holds true. :)
Congratulations to all New York Marathon finishers ... you've raced hard, and you've raced long. You deserve a well-earned rest!
Photo by WCSN
No comments:
Post a Comment