THEY DID IT…

Sunday November 5th was the day for our amazing 2017 crew to smash out the New York City Marathon. In the lead up to this event, the guys & girls experienced a rollercoaster journey over 8 months. Running a marathon is one thing… training for one is another. As the group experienced, each week of the training, even each individual session throws up new challenges designed to have everyone ready and prepared physically & mentally for race day. 8 months is a long time to sacrifice for an event and these guys took it in their stride. Once a few realised their social lives would take a little hit, they were flying.

The lead up in New York was fantastic, it started with our Friday afternoon catch up. The nerves were high and everyone was very excited. On the Saturday morning, ProSport tradition is to do a run / walk to flush out the legs. We head up to Central Park to check out the finish line without the crowds. Always a highlight, always exciting. A few team photos & it was time to head back. Training together for close to a year, these events always create special bonds that we all get to share & enjoy for the rest of our lives. After dinner on the Saturday night, it was bed time - time to get ready for what lay ahead, 8 months of training, preparing & thinking about this moment was about to become a reality.

After getting off the buses on Staten Island and making our way to the starting corrals, it’s onto the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge to await the start. The marathon start for NY is always special, Frank Sinatra banging out New York, New York, then the loud cannon! Everything in that moment before the cannon goes off allows life to go on hold. Those first few steps through the start line allow everything to pause around you & then it becomes this feeling of you, your race plan & the race. 

The crowd in New York is out of this world, there is nothing like it. It’s intense for the whole 42.2ks. All of our 18 runners successfully completed the challenging 42.2 course and ended the day with a few celebratory drinks in the hotel bar. The final night we had our celebration dinner at Buddakan again – always guaranteed to be a spectacular night, it’s a chance for our runners to let their hair down, dress up and celebrate. Besides the run itself, this dinner is one of the main highlights of the trip.

On behalf of the ProSport team, congratulations to our 2017 NY Marathon runners.