Carl writes .............

To help raise money for the NPDG my best friend, Steve Clark suggested we run the New York Marathon. I hadn’t run more than a mile since leaving school so with nothing more than some old trainers we started to build up the miles. Eventually after 6 months of calf strains, blisters and swelling knees we had convinced ourselves 26 and a bit miles could almost be achievable.

We made it to New York (and someone told me getting to start line was the hardest part……I beg to differ having run the race!) On the morning of the race we had to get up at 2am to have to make and eat a large bowl of pasta and then get to the NY Central Library to catch the 4am coach to Staten Island where the race started. The race started at 9.40am so we had a few hours to wait before we had to gather at the designated starting point. To keep warm on this chilly but beautiful blue-skied morning most people wore old jackets and trousers then, just before the starting gun, everyone was stripping off their old clothes and throwing them into the air and nearby trees. It was quite a sight….like an explosion in TK Maxx The race itself was a fantastic experience. We put our names across the front of our jerseys in big print. This was a great idea as the crowds cheered out your name and handed out bananas, drinks and goodies as you passed. We were both really quick and would have got past Paula Radcliffe (who eventually won the race) but she has very boney elbows and it was just too dangerous to attempt without getting seriously injured……..apart from that she had probably finished and was on the flight back home by the time I’d reached the 10 mile marker! Anyway, it was too amazing an event to spend it with your head down. Every mile or so there was a fabulous band by the side of the route playing rock music, gospel, jazz you name it. I did eventually hit the ‘Wall’ which made the remaining 25 miles really quite painful if not a blur but I did eventually finish in 4 hours 2 minutes! Steve managed to finish in 5 hours 37 minutes…his excuse was he chatted to most of the spectators along the route!

 

 

 

The most important part of competing in the race was we managed to raise a total of over £3,012 for the NPDG (UK). Thank you to everyone who sponsored, supported and helped us finish the race and raise so much money.