The Marathon I Wanted My Kids to See

With 800 meters left in the New York City Marathon, I was exhausted. Seeing my family gave me the boost of energy I needed to finish.

I played soccer when I was young. After having kids, I got incredibly out of shape. Two years ago, I started running. I have lost 40 pounds in the process.

I work in New York, and to me, NYC is the mecca of marathons. I wanted to challenge myself there.

I ran with Team for Kids, raising money to help support New York Road Runners' free youth running programs. The team provided a tent before the start and an early exit after the finish. Running with them was a great experience.

The energy going over the Verrazzano and through Brooklyn stayed with me. The Queensboro Bridge was difficult, and Manhattan brought another boost. At one point, I was running about two feet from Mamdani. Those are the moments I keep replaying, along with seeing my family near the finish.

I wanted to show my kids that you can do hard things if you put your mind to it.