Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 76, November 2015 | Page 10

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New York,
New York

Big City
Marathon
Mania

It is that time of the year again, Big City Marathon
season, with three of the six Major Marathons taking
place during the last quarter of the year, and once again I
am fascinated by the top level elite action.

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Next will be the marathon on
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most runners’ bucket lists (including
ass
mine), the TCS New York City Marathon.
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This is the largest marathon in the world, taking
Blo
g
place on the first Sunday of November each year, and
with 50 000 participants and a further two million spectators
braving the November chill to line the streets of the Big Apple,
runners are guaranteed an experience of a lifetime. A marathon is
definitely the most unique way to see and experience a city, and the
New York City Marathon starts on the massive Verrazano Narrows
Bridge in Staten Island, with amazing views of the Manhattan
skyline. Runners use both the top and bottom part of the bridge to
get to Brooklyn, and then tour through all five of the city’s boroughs
to experience New York’s diverse and vibrant neighbourhoods and
iconic landmarks.

– BY RENÉ KALMER

F

irst up on 28 September was the BMW Berlin Marathon and
I was glued in front of the TV, following the race with great
memories in my heart. I set my personal best time of 2:29:27
last year in Berlin, finishing ninth in the women’s section. This
year it was Lusapho April’s time to fly the SA flag high in Germany, and
at the halfway mark he was still on course for a new personal best time,
but he was unfortunately forced to drop out at the 38km mark with a
shin injury. That is the heartbreaking part of marathoning!

Next up was the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on 11 October, a
race that still leaves a lump in my throat... I was super excited when I
got an invite to take part in Chicago this year, as World Records have
been broken on numerous occasions on the very fast course in the
Windy City, which makes it a favourite among runners trying to run a
PB! Unfortunately, I hadn’t recovered in time from