Nov
2
A Marathon Runner’s Choice
November 2, 2008 | Leave a Comment
It starts with a Bang!, and Frank Sinatra crooning New York, New York, then 40,000 take off across the stately Verrazano Narrows Bridge. And some 26 miles later the winner will break the ribbon at the finish line in the city’s historic Central Park.
The 2008 ING New York City Marathon took place on a sundrenched morning with a biting wind at the runners’ backs. The race throughout the years is always made extra special by the multitude of New York stories – those who overcome difficult obstacles, those who are competing for the first time, and some even who’ve dealt with tragedy. One of the nicer stories is how many charities and causes the runners in the race support.
This year U.S. olympic athletes, former soccer star Brandi Chastain and former gymnastics sensation Kerri Strug, will support one cause by participating in their first marathon as ambassadors for the ING Run For Something Better program. The national initiative promotes youth fitness and provides funding for free community and school-based running programs.
Both Chastain and Strug will each wear a pair of ING’s signature orange shoelaces during the marathon. Anyone who makes a charitable donation of $10 or more to the ING Run for Something Better cause can also sport the fashionable laces.
How you can get in the game:
To get your ING orange laces click here, http://orangelaces.com. To find out more about Run for Something Better, or to make a donation, visit their website at www.ingrunforsomethingbetter.com
Here are just some of the additional charitable causes New York City Road Runners is involved with:
Team for Kids
NYRR Foundation Team for Kids, is an international community of adult runners who raise funds for NYRR Foundation, the youth services arm of NYRR. The Foundation’s running-based fitness and character building programs now serve 30,000 children a week in almost 200 New York City schools and community centers and an additional 30,000 children a week in more than 50 sites nationally and internationally. [More Information]
NYRR Champion’s Circle
The New York Road Runners Champion’s Circle is an initiative by NYRR to support U.S. post-collegiate and Olympic Development training groups around the country. A donation is directed to fund long-term development of professional USA distance runners to prepare them to compete successfully in domestic and international competition. [More Information]
Greening the NYC Marathon
In addition to several standard initiatives, New York Road Runners supports Give back to New York City with the gift that keeps on growing: Trees. MillionTreesNYC, a PLANYC initiative with NYC Parks & Recreation and New York Restoration Project, is a citywide initiative to plant one million trees in New York City by 2017. You can honor a special NYC Marathon runner by planting a tree in his or her name. Click here for more information on the Million Trees NYC Campaign. [More Information]
