NYC Marathon! from Kathy Simpson on Vimeo.

As someone who loves to run marathons, I never get to experience the race from the side lines. This year, I came out to watch the NYC Marathon and not run it. It was fantastic, I thought that as a runner I wouldn’t be able not feel drawn to the course and anxious to run it myself. Standing with the other spectators, cheering on the runners as they went by felt fantastic. There’s something about showing support that makes me feel even more like a runner. The best part, though, was that I got to watch the elites wiz by me.

The wheel chair division came first and filled the crowds with inspiration. Watching a 70 year old women complete a marathon in a wheel chair…. Well, who wouldn’t feel empowered to get up off the couch and run a marathon?

Next came the women’s elite division lead by Paula Radcliffe (of course). The fans went wild for Paula, but the real fanfare was as the men rounded the corner chasing after the NYRR organizer, and just about 20 police officers.

Following the elite runners, were the 40,000 + runners on their journey through NYC. Congratulations everyone who ran the NYC 2009 – You inspire me! And if you missed it, here’s a bit of footage from the leaders of the pack.