New York State Of Mind

OLYMPIC SILVER MEDALLIST AND AW PUBLISHER WENDY SLY VENTURED TO THE BIG APPLE AND FOUND HERSELF UPLIFTED BY WHAT PROVED TO BE AN UNFORGETTABLE MARATHON

- Wendy Sly

GEORGE HIRSCH was right. Not long after Shalane Flanagan had crossed the finish line to become the first American female to win the New York Marathon since 1977, the man who was a founding figure of the event turned to me and said “we needed that”.

It struck me, however, that not only did the New York Marathon need that but marathon running as a whole needed that, women’s distance running needed that. After the awful events of the week before, the city of New York certainly needed that, too, while Flanagan herself also needed that after the disappointment of having to withdraw from Boston earlier in the year following injury. It was a moment to savour.

The men’s race didn’t disappoint, either, with a close finish between Geoffrey Kamworor and Wilson Kipsang keeping the atmosphere in the stands alive while the popular Meb Keflezighi finishing his last ever marathon brought cheers almost as loud as those afforded to the winners. The press conference afterwards revealed just how much of an influence he has been to American and African runners, both through his gutsy performances but also his gentle and respectful personality.

Flanagan even mentioned, in the aftermath of her own moment of history, how she took inspiration from Keflezighi’s victory in the Boston Marathon in 2014, the year after the terrorist attack on the city, and the way he conducted himself after such an emotional and important win.