posted by Julie Walton Shaver at 4:15 pm
This team of marathon runners from Finland asked me to take some pictures the day before the big race.
We met late in the afternoon for some stretching, jogging and sightseeing in Central Park.
One of the sights we came across is the banner that marks the 25th mile. That last mile (actually, 1.2 miles) may be the hardest, but at least the finish line is near!
The runners, a team that is part of an asthma study with AstraZeneca, will be following that thin blue line throughout all five boroughs of New York, starting in Staten Island and finishing at Tavern on the Green in Central Park.
I’m going back tomorrow to meet the runners after the race.
But, for today, we were just hanging out. I have to say, New Yorkers are so cool! Here’s this team from Finland wearing their team uniforms, walking around the park, and just about every where we went, people would wish them luck in the race.
Robert, the team captain is in front. They’ve been training for about a year. This is the first marathon for everyone on the team.
You should all be proud of your accomplishments!
Training for a marathon is difficult and rewarding. The big payoff will come when you make your descent into Manhattan from the Queensboro Bridge. It is exhilirating! Good luck in the race tomorrow! I will be oh-so-excited to see you with your medals!
Check the blog for updates and a slide show coming soon!
In addition to this being the team’s marathon debut, it is also my debut as a marathon photographer. But it’s not my first experience with a marathon. Long ago, in the life of “Julie B.C.” (before children), I trained for a year and ran in the 1993 NYC marathon. It was one of those life-altering days, you know, one of those days, like the day I was married or the days my children were born, or
the day I sang in Carnegie Hall, that I’ll never forget — one of my all-time best days! I am so honored to have the opportunity to photograph this team from Finland. It may not be the same as running in the race, but being in New York on marathon day is the BEST!
That’s me (white shirt, white hat) in 1993 crossing the finish line after more than five hours. I looked quite happy to be finishing, no? Not long after this picture, I sat down — and didn’t get up for week.
posted by Julie Walton Shaver at 11:40 pm
posted by Julie Walton Shaver at 7:25 am
