| Inspiring performances on November 4, 2007 | | | | The New York City Marathon was not without |
| contributed to a classic New York City | | | | heartfelt emotion and disappointment this |
| Marathon. Run on a crisp autumn Sunday, a | | | | year. Aside from the struggles every |
| record 39,085 runners took their positions on | | | | competitor faces and the fact that some |
| Staten Island. | | | | entrants do not finish there were other |
| | | | concerns. |
| The NYC Marathon began in 1970, a result of | | | | |
| the vision of the New York Road Runners, who | | | | A day earlier, in New York, the U.S runner |
| continue to stage it. The initial race was | | | | Ryan Shay, 28, collapsed and died at the 2008 |
| contained to Central Park. This evolved into | | | | U.S. Olympic Team Trials Men's Marathon. This |
| the present course, which runs through the | | | | resonated with the runners as they learned of |
| five boroughs of New York. There's a buzz | | | | this tragedy in their running fraternity. |
| throughout these locations each year in the | | | | |
| weeks leading up to the event. | | | | Ernst Van Dyk of South Africa could not race |
| | | | in the wheelers division. He had the |
| This year's race saw Paula Radcliffe of Great | | | | misfortune of having his chair not arrive on |
| Britain emerge as the winner in the women's | | | | the flight to New York. The world record- |
| division. Martin Lel of Kenya was the men's | | | | holder watched the race from the sidelines |
| winner. Edith Hunkeler of Switzerland won the | | | | instead of participating. |
| women's wheeler division; Kurt Fearnley of | | | | |
| Australia won the men's wheeler race for the | | | | Marathons, in general, are a test of the |
| second year in a row. | | | | human spirit. To run 26.2 miles and have |
| | | | enough kick at the end to fight off a |
| Paula Radcliffe's story is particularly | | | | competitor is an accomplishment. In the case |
| noteworthy. She lives in Monaco and on | | | | of the New York City Marathon, it's an even |
| January 17 of this year she gave birth to a | | | | greater accomplishment. The prestige and |
| baby girl there at the Princess Grace | | | | surrounding hype contribute to its ability to |
| Hospital. Less than ten months later, | | | | play on the runners' emotions. Add to that |
| Radcliffe, 33, crossed the finish line in New | | | | the high-caliber athleticism of the |
| York as victor in this race. A late race | | | | contestants and you have a dramatic script |
| explosion of energy propelled her ahead of | | | | already in place. Once the players take the |
| Gete Wami of Ethiopia. Wami had taken the | | | | field, an intriguing story develops every |
| lead earlier from Radcliffe. Radcliffe's | | | | year. |
| winning time clocked in at 2 hours, 23 | | | | |
| minutes, and 9 seconds. | | | | In a race that ends in beautiful Central Park |
| | | | the electricity is apparent. That's why it |
| The men's race had no lack of drama itself. | | | | captures the imagination of runners |
| Martin Lel battled step for step with | | | | worldwide. In 2006, 93,000 plus applications |
| Abderrahim Goumri well in to the last stage | | | | came in for the race - much more than the |
| in Central Park. Lel's strong finishing power | | | | slots available. |
| led him to a 12-second win over the Moroccan. | | | | |
| His first-place winning time was 2 hours, 9 | | | | This year's race was no exception with |
| minutes, and 4 seconds. | | | | throngs lining the streets. The weather |
| | | | cooperated as did the staff and volunteers of |
| In the women's wheeler division, Edith | | | | the New York Road Runners. |
| Hunkeler, 35, broke her previous record for | | | | |
| the course in a time of 1 hour, 52 minutes, | | | | From Staten Island, through Brooklyn, Queens, |
| and 38 seconds. It was a wonderful comeback | | | | and the Bronx and then to the thrilling |
| for her; having severely crushed her leg in a | | | | finish in Manhattan, the marathon continues |
| racing accident in 2006. | | | | to inspire. |
| | | | |
| Kurt Fearnley, 26, won the men's wheeler race | | | | Runners worldwide, as well as 2 million |
| in a time of 1 hour, 33 minutes, and 58 | | | | spectators and estimated 315 million |
| seconds. He broke the course record in New | | | | television viewers look forward every year to |
| York City in 2006. | | | | autumn in New York and the November running |
| | | | of the New York Marathon. |