In a very special Sunday post, I just couldn't wait to share my excitement about today's ING New York City Marathon finish! Initially I was not that excited about the whole event mostly because I envisioned watching people run for 25 miles before the final dash to be the equivalent of watching paint dry. In addition, I don't have cable and just didn't think I would get to actually see the coverage. A little digging this morning and I found out the that entire event was going to be streamed via the internet and despite my little quip, I was glued to the TV screen (which hooks up to the computer) for the entire time that the men and women ran!
As you know by now, Derartu Tulu of Ethiopia took the women's title and it was so freaking exciting! The fact that she hung in there for 26.2 miles (the equivalent of here to eternity as far as my legs are concerned); that when a Paula Radcliffe, the favorite for the race, started falling behind, Tulu was actually encouraging her to catch up; then took the final stretch as if she was just beginning the race to come to the finish line.....I mean, the whole thing that had me jumping up and down with excitement!
As if a win by an Ethiopian woman wasn't enough, a few minutes later Eritrean-born Meb Keflezighi came bursting through the finish line. While Keflezighi represented the U.S. and led to the first U.S. win of the New York Marathon since 1982, his win represents so much more! One of 11 siblings who had to leave Eritrea, they have had the opportunity to lead the quintessential American dream: to come from far away lands, work hard, and achieve your dream.
In additional to the great wins by Keflezighi and Tulu, Africans were overall a powerhouse. Kenyan Salina Kosgei fell early in the race and was still able to hold on to 5th place while another Kenyan, Robert Cheruiyot, grabbed the silver for the men. Moroccans Jaouad Gharib and Abderrahime Bouramdane grabbed 3rd and 5th place respectively. This race and these amazing athletes totally had me jumping with excitement and pride and an overall "YES I CAN" feeling.....now I'm just crossing my fingers that this feeling wakes me up in the morning for my own run!
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