Jessica Joins the 15+ NYC Marathoners!

Jessica Baez 

I would like to begin this blog by saying I know my story is not unique in any way, shape or form. That being said, I was humbled when asked to write a piece regarding my journey to completing my 15th NYC Marathon just over two weeks ago, on November 3rd, 2024.

I believe this achievement is highly sought after, and has been obtained by many, including a great number of Flyers! It’s an incredible honor to be part of the “15+” group.

I began running NYC Marathons the year that I was 30 years old. At that time, I knew nothing of running teams, training programs, etc., but thankfully, I was able to run with the charity, Team For Kids. Thankfully, they had some long runs, which I joined, & after 4 months of training I ran and completed my first NYC marathon. It wasn’t pretty, but I did it & knew I wanted to run again the following year. 🎉

However, I had an injury & was unable to do so. Thankfully, the year that followed I was, once again, able to join the thousands of other runners who took on the streets of New York & from then on, my love for both running marathons, and the NYC Marathon, in particular, blossomed. 🌸

Somewhere along the way, I realized that running the NYC Marathon had become an important part of my life. New York is home and it feels unnatural to not run the marathon when I have the access and opportunity to do so. That being said, I don’t take said “access” for granted. I know there are many who do not get in via lottery or can’t make the 9+1 happen, so I remind myself to remain grateful for this opportunity. I always look forward to registration day! To me, it signifies the commencement of training & preparing for my favorite day of the year!

At some point along the way, perhaps by my 9th NYC Marathon, I realized that if I ran 15 NYC Marathons, I would have guaranteed entry for life! I found that information intriguing and decided then to make completing 15 my goal!

With each marathon I have run and completed, I have faced  various challenges here and there. Sometimes those challenges were with my training, other times I was recovering from injuries. There were moments when I wondered if my goal was actually going to be attainable, but every year I signed up, trained and thankfully, completed another one.✅

For the first time this year I ran the marathon alongside some friends. Their company, along with my own mental willingness, helped me to complete NYC marathon #15!

There was a point during this year’s race when I honestly considered not finishing - a thought that NEVER crosses my mind ever, but this year it did. Unfortunately, starting at mile 5, I dealt with horrible, if not,l unbearable at many times, stomach discomfort. I remember the moment when I thought I should simply call it a day … but I then reminded myself that I needed this one race to complete my 15th NYC marathon and to have the guaranteed entry I’ve been working towards for so long. That realization, along with my friends continuously looking back for me, and knowing there were people on the course waiting & hoping to see me, helped to keep me in the race. I am grateful that I didn’t give up.

This year’s marathon was special for so many reasons, but especially because I finally met my goal.💕 I am proud of myself for working hard over the years to reach this milestone. I am both humbled and excited that I am part of the very special group of runners who have reached this status! I look forward to next years marathon when I’ll get to experience all the wonderful amenities that the “15 +” marathoners have earned.

If doing this is something you feel compelled to work towards, I encourage you to stay the course and continue reaching for your goal. I am both hopeful & rooting for you. 🎊

Thank you for reading!

Jessica Baez

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Rock ‘n’ Roll in Arizona

Joanna Gunderson

January in NYC can be rough for us cold-averse runners!  The air can hit hard and the sun sets way too early.🥶Delightedly, I escaped the frigid temperatures for a long weekend with fellow NY Flyers and friends Lisa Konorty, her daughter Romi and Manuela Montagnana. We welcomed the warmth of Phoenix, Arizona along with each other's company, great brunches, happy hours and Personal Records at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Race Series!  (Of course, good music too!). 😎🌞🍸🥞☕

This annual event always takes place during Martin Luther King Day weekend, which can make for a quick getaway to recharge⚡right at the start of the new year!

This was not my first time, rockin' (so to speak) Arizona's Rock 'n' Roll series.  In 2022, I took on the marathon, though as a training run. Lisa and former flyer Vanessa Koury opted for the half instead. 

Hot, sunny, 68 degrees and a late start would not lead to a PR (4:15:06) but I embraced the opportunity to escape NY's cold 🧊 while practicing a long run with my new hydration camelback.  The dry desert's heat 🌵🔥, rolling hills and bridges made for a challenging run indeed, and it was no surprise that  they cancelled the marathon option moving forward.  

Now they offer a 5K, 10K and Half Marathon; much more enjoyable distances in such challenging conditions.

FLYERS ROCK THE HALF AND THE 10K IN 2024

Lisa with her daughter Romi graciously hosted me at Lisa's house in Sun City.  Manuela opted for a hotel, but joined us for brunches and happy hours as we ate and ran our way through the fun-filled weekend! 🥳

Flyer women Manuela Montagnana, Lisa Konorty, Joanna Gunderson, and Lisa’s daughter Romi attend the Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona expo. 

I was pleased to learn that Rock ‘N’ Roll moved the start time of the event to 7:15am to accommodate the heat. The weather was a lot more comfortable than in 2022, with a 42-degree average temperature. 🎉

Since I was on the mend from COVID and also busy with life's obligations, I choose to run the 10K with Romi, while Lisa and Manuela raced the Half. This scenic race was beautiful!  The sun rise in the desert made those rolling hills and three bridges more bearable. 

Runners running during the desert sunrise of the 10K

Congratulations to Lisa and Manuela!  They both ran strong half marathons and both of them PR'd -- Lisa ran her PR in 1:52:33 and Manuela beat her prior PR by 3 minutes! 

Reflecting on her race Lisa said: 

“The half was a PR for me by  more than one minute. I thought the course was fun and full of energy with the bands along the course. I especially loved the challenging two miles of hills; mile 10 and 11 in Papago Park. It was so cool to run through Tempe, Scottsdale, and Phoenix all in one race. And I loved the Flyer ladies’ camaraderie.”

A stunning sunset in Sun City, Arizona.

 While you're out there, take the time to see the surrounding region of Phoenix including Tempe, Scottsdale, and Sun City.  We also enjoyed a few walks through Sun City with "Harley the Corgi" and Lisa's neighbor Marv -- (Marv just finished his 90th marathon in December and is 83 years old!).  

With Romi, Marv, and Harley the Corgi 😊

The colors of the  desert are stunning, Arizona is beautiful, the desert desserts were delicious and the coffee flights are fantastic!  

A tasty coffee flight at JOJO Coffeehouse in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Overall, I would recommend Arizona's Rock 'n' Roll Running Series for a beautiful long weekend getaway and a healthy dose of vitamin D for those of us trudging through these frigid and frosty NY winter months!  🌞 

-Joanna Gunderson

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Battered & Bloodied: Steve's Throwback to BROOKLYN HALF-MARATHON 2008

STEVE KAIRYS 2017

Prologue

Less than two miles into the 2008 Brooklyn Half-Marathon, my race hung by a hairbreadth. I found myself prone on the Coney Island boardwalk, having incurred multiple injuries. Would I have to drop out of a race for the first time in over 170 starts?

Not if I had anything to say about it.

Battered and bloodied, I tried to get up…

Mile 0: History Lesson

In 2008, The Brooklyn Half was not this major party with more than 25K runners, finishing at Coney Island. It was a smaller race (5,839 finishers) that, for the final time, started there, and challenged runners by concluding in hilly Prospect Park. 🏔

(Map from usatf.org.)

Mile 1: Want a Hot Dog?

On this cloudy, cool morning, the race began on the boardwalk, with the ocean to my left.🌊 My goal: under-10:00/mi. I passed the shuttered eateries (such as Nathan’s). Thanks to a restroom stop, my split was 10:33.

Mile 2: SPLAT!

Shortly after the turnaround, I stumbled, and apprehension swelled as the boardwalk rose up to meet me. I connected five body parts with the boardwalk: knees, hands, and what I thought was a bone on the left side of my chest.

I stood, tried to run…and I could! Still, I had emerged from this tumble with significant damage. While not bleeding, both knees were scraped: the right, barely; the left, however, sported an ugly red blotch. My hands briefly felt a bit sore, but inspecting them showed no damage. Of greater concern, however, might have been my chest or ribs. Now and then, I’d feel a twinge.

I defiantly stated to one of the concerned runners that after putting in two 10-milers, I wasn’t going to let a little tumble stop me. I was going to run competitively as if I had never fallen. I think this incident increased my determination. 

Split: 10:06, Net: 20:40, Deficit  0:40

Mile 3: Goodbye, Boardwalk

Around mile 2.8, the race mercifully left the boardwalk and descended onto city streets. Soon, we took a right onto Surf Avenue and before long, I hit the Mile 3 marker in an estimated time of 9:50.

Miles 4 - 9; Ocean Parkway to Prospect Park

The race proceeded north on almost-flat Ocean Parkway. Now and then, I’d draw on the company of my fellow runners with whom I would share my story about how lucky I was to still be in this race.

I settled into a nice rhythm, most of my miles under-10:00, and took the lead on my goal pace by Mile 5. While I wanted to accumulate a time cushion before the dreaded Mile 11 hill in Prospect Park, I needed to save something. The race was going by pretty quickly, a testament to the good day I was enjoying. What injuries? Adrenaline and determination were getting me through the half-marathon.

Eventually, I ran up an exit ramp and soon entered the park near Mile 9 with a comfortable lead.

Net: 1:28:41, Lead: 1:19

Mile 10: Gobble, Gobble

Now, around a 10:19 pace would attain my goal. I soon would pass landmarks I recognized from the Turkey Trot; however, my planned post-race dinner was steak. I gained another 10 seconds by Mile 10, body still feeling good.

Split: 9:50, Net: 1:38:31, Lead: 1:29

Mile 11: That Looming Hill

Shortly thereafter, on East Drive, the hill appeared. The slope is significant and lengthy. I met the challenge head-on. Finally, on West Drive, I would reach Mile 11. Relieved, I checked my watch.

I had conquered The Hill in 9:44 for Mile Eleven. About nine miles earlier, I could’ve taken a DNF. Now, I stood just 2.1 miles from a triumphant finish.

Split: 9:44, Net: 1:48:15, Lead: 1:45

Miles 12 - 13.1 – Hanging On

My injuries were still holding up. At Mile 12, I lead by 1:49. I could taste it.

I was tiring though, and challenged by the long, gradual uphill on Wellhouse/Hill Drive. I had defeated that big hill, but now, the course walloped me with the back end of a one-two punch. I refused to give in, looking, looking, looking for the end of this road. Would that intersection ever appear?

Mercifully, it did, and I returned to East Drive. Shortly thereafter, I made the final turn, onto Center Drive. Somewhere along this road came one more short, slight uphill. Finally, I spotted the Mile 13 marker, hitting it in 10:00. I still led by 1:49. My battered body had nothing left for a finishing sprint, but I had fully earned the right not to kick. I would cross that Finish Line, and secure my first competitive triumph in over ten months.

I had started adversity in the race, turning a fall that could have ruined my race into victory. 

Split   1:01;  Net:  2:09:11 (Pace: 9:52/mi)

Miles 14 - 15: Celebration! Celebration!

Now, my body could allow itself to feel beaten up. My left knee started hurting, all I needed when I had to climb the steps of the baggage bus.🚌

Still, I reveled in my achievement and enjoyed the generous post-race team brunch hosted by New York Flyer couple Sara and Gary Heard, including a bagel, meatballs, and quiche.🥯 As my rib injury pained me when I coughed, I remarked that I hoped that no one would tell me any jokes so that I did not have to laugh. The fabric of my post-race sweatpants rubbed uncomfortably against  my knee. After the gathering, fellow Flyer Ed Altman saved me from a taxing subway ride home by driving me back to Manhattan. Thank you, Ed! I’ve met so many wonderful people through the Flyers.

By evening, it hurt to get in and out of bed. It didn’t matter. Especially during my celebration dinner. Nothing like steak and plentiful wine🍷🍷🍷to ease the pain after one of my proudest races.

-Steve Kairys

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15 Years to Boston -- Worth the Wait!

Stephanie Tang

 

Some people qualify for the Boston Marathon on their first attempt, but, for others, it can take years. I qualified for Boston on my 25th marathon, 10 years into my marathon journey and 7 years after my first BQ attempt!  It took another 5 years after my first BQ to finally toe the line this past April 😊

Bib Pick Up Before the 2016 NYC Marathon
At 36 Weeks Pregnant 👶

I ran my first marathon, the 2008 Potomac River Marathon, in 5:25:17. I was the second to last finisher, and my husband Ray walked me into the finish during the last 10K. I had only run a half marathon distance as part of my training, and the race was painful, to say the least! Still, I was hooked. The oxytocin released on my runs and higher highs when I conquered goal races replaced my former addiction to smoking cigarettes.

Reuniting with the Family after the 2019 NYC Marathon

Three years later, I had shaved more than 1 hour and 30 minutes off my marathon time and felt ready to attempt a 3:40 goal at the 2011 Chicago Marathon. I missed the mark by 4 minutes, and the BAA announced that BQ times would be made 5 minutes faster the following year, making a BQ feel even more like chasing an imaginary unicorn 🦄

In 2011, I opened a yoga studio, Sacred Sounds Yoga. I turned to distance running as my “moving meditation,” helping to lessen any feelings of stress and anxiety while keeping me sane. After Ray and I had two children in 2014 and 2016, my entire social life was centered around running, the only time I spent interacting with adults sans children outside of work. Through growing the business, moves, pregnancy, breastfeeding and sleep regressions, I ran.

I started training with Coach Brian Rosetti and the Flyers Marathon Training Program (MTP) the year Brian took on the role of Head Coach with the NY Flyers in 2013, but it wasn’t until after the births of my children that I was able to train consistently. I strongly believe in the VDOT method that Brian employs in his coaching and noticed that I continued to see improvements in my time with every season. In late 2018, I finally achieved my first BQ at the Clarence DeMar Marathon in 3:32:06, a 9:35 PR!

I was set to run Boston in 2020, but the world had other plans - COVID.

I was also set to run last year, but this time it was my body that had other plans - I tested positive for COVID the Friday before the race 😢 Six weeks after COVID, I hurriedly signed up for the Bayshore Marathon in Traverse City, MI, and ran a PR of 3:25:48!

TCTC Bayshore Marathon 2022

This past year brought more changes, as I graduated from accelerated nursing school, and started working night shifts as a labor and delivery nurse. Despite the lack of sleep and training, I was excited to finally run the Boston Marathon, with Ray, my children and parents cheering me on. We celebrated with friends from NYC and where I now live in Westport, CT, and reunited with some of my father’s family after 15 years!

Family Cheering Squad at Mile 17 😍

Race day looked promising for runners, though not so for my family and other spectators, as it was cloudy and the forecast was for rain. I planned to hold back my pace for the first 16 miles, which I was aware was mostly downhill, and then reassess whether I could continue the pace or pick it up at that point. However, as with others, I got swept into the excitement, and ran 15 seconds per mile faster than I had intended for miles 1 through 16, and then struggled over the hills, finishing with a big positive split.

Family Reunion Dim Sum Lunch

Flyers Pre-Race Indian Food Dinner

Despite the race pace challenges, I was moved to tears as I high fived the Wellesley College girls through the scream tunnel, overwhelmed with gratitude at the opportunity to run such an historic race, one in which women only became allowed to run starting in 1972. I gave big hugs and kisses to my family at miles 17 and 25, as they stood out in the pouring rain, cheering me and others on with fervor. I grinned as I caught sight of the infamous Citgo sign, and as we made the right on Hereford and left on Boylston before the finish line.

I finally finished the Boston Marathon 15 years after my marathon journey started. I would not have changed a thing. As one journey ends, another begins.

-Stephanie Tang

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Detective Scrutinizes Flyers Blog Race Reports!

 

FRANCESCO P.

Blogkeepers' Note

From our perspective here up on the Flyers Blog mountaintop, planning and implementing the broad array of Flyers events and services involves a tremendous amount of volunteer initiative, work, time, energy, caring, and love 💖. 

All of us Flyers can--and hopefully do-- feel gratitude for what goes on behind the scenes.  We recognize the selfless efforts of Flyers, and we Blogkeepers believe sharing what goes on outside of the public eye may help inspire even more of us to volunteer and contribute to keeping the Flyers running smoothly and happily. 

 

With this in mind, we think you'll all enjoy learning about what it takes to be the Flyers Blog Reporter as Francesco Presutti shares his perspective, goals and ideals!

-- Dave Kleckner and Melissa Slobin

FRANCESCO P:

I am Private Eye Francesco P, your Race Reporter, and I will be your guide on this behind-the-scenes journey to shed light on the Flyers race reports posted on the Blog.🧐 Each report provides highlights of the results of the club and notable member achievements at NYRR races, but also are intended to go beyond simply reporting on race times.

Follow me as we embark together through the six classic detective questions: why, what, when, how, who and where!🕵

 #1  WHY Me?

 

 

Our first detective question is the one I asked myself when I received an email from Flyers Blogkeepers Dave Kleckner and Melissa Slobin inviting me to become the Flyers Blog Race Reporter. According to Dave and Melissa, they reached out to me because they know that I'm very detail-oriented -- a quality they felt is ideal for the detective work involved in sleuthing and revealing the intricate details of Flyers race results -- an assignment that they felt would be far more complex than may be obvious to even our most meticulous Flyers. I was surprised to be invited, but excited too. 

Accepting the offer was a no-brainer, and not without good reason. I have always loved writing stories about people. I was in high school when one of my short stories won a literary award. My parents drove me to a small town 35 miles east of Florence to accept the award. It was a small, unpretentious medal.🥇

Little did I know that my quirky medal would become the first of a series of oversized medals I

would receive for each marathon I completed during the coming years. My medal reappeared in a box during the recent move of my household belongings from Brussels to New York. Until then, I had forgotten all about my literary award, but I never stopped writing! Writing about my fellow Flyers – I thought – would be a terrific opportunity to get to know them.

 

#2 WHAT is Racing About?

 

My next detective question is tricky. A race is first and foremost about competition and results. A good place to start in writing a race report is by gathering and rearranging all relevant data. There are tons of data in the NYRR race results database, and going through all of them after a race may take up to an hour. Luckily the NYRR website allows the user to filter results by team, so whoever is registered with NYRR as a Flyer pops up on my screen. 

It is pretty straight forward to spot and pay tribute to the top 3 male and female Flyers runners (or the top 5 in the case of club points races). I find it very important to give credit also to those who won an age-group award. This requires a bit more of work, as some of our more senior runners may appear close to the bottom of the team’s list. I also go to the award webpages to doublecheck that I am not missing any award-winner. Finally, I identify all the Flyers who finished in the top 10 of their age group and those with a high age-group performance percentage, the AGP%. 

I mention any Flyer who hits an AGP threshold of 70%, which is conventionally regarded as regional class level (80% is typically national class, and 60% is local class). To be sure that I am not missing any Flyer, it is not enough to scroll the list, and I need to check many of our team’s finishers one by one. Whenever a race counts as a club points race, I look up the results of each of our 10 teams (open, 40+, 50+, 60+ and 70+, both men and women), and I check where each team stands in the cub points standing after the race. 

Number crunching is important, but it's not enough. Any reader would agree that there is more to racing than listing results and awards. 

To learn how to do a good job as a blog race reporter, and to write about what really matters to my fellow Flyers, I thought the fundamental question I needed to ask myself was (and this is where the detective question gets tricky): what do we like about running races? And why do we like them at all? 

We know running per se can be both addictive and fun, but what makes us put up with the physical, mental, and emotional exertion of competition – or even crave it? What pushes thousands of us to line up at the start of each NYRR race (other than to get a guaranteed entry to the New York City Marathon through the NYRR 9+1 program, and why does anyone sane and in their right mind want to compete in a marathon anyway)?

 

There is no single answer to these questions. Racing makes runners more self-aware of their pace, form, and cadence – and that is the running coach in me speaking. But there can be an array of motives behind the choice to compete in a race. 

 

As human beings we come from different places. As athletes we embrace competitive running to satisfy all sorts of impulses within us. Our differences are what makes us stronger. They are the beauty of belonging in a community of athletes. 

 

 

My job was only just starting to take shape when I first began to consider what to include in the race reports, and it was quickly dawning on me that a race report could not be only a list of results. It had to be about the dreams and the aspirations of the runners in our amazing Flyers’ team.

 

#3 WHEN We Dream About Running.... 🌈

Considering dreams and aspirations led me to my sixth detective question: what do Flyers dream about when they dream about running? What do YOU dream? If in your dreams you win the New York City Marathon, thumbs up, my dear overachiever! 

 

But certainly not all Flyers dream to win the New York City Marathon, and not all are overachievers. To test the ground, I asked Blogkeepers Dave and Melissa what they dream about when they dream about running. Dave’s reply was that he has a recurring dream/nightmare that he gets hopelessly lost on the course while running the Boston Marathon. I loved that. Melissa told me that when she dreams about running, running is effortless and feels so good. Not bad either. 

 

Not getting lost in a race, running easy and effortless: Dave’s and Melissa’s replies exemplify the variety of aspirations in our running community, which are usually more down-to-earth than winning a big glamorous marathon. I would love to hear from all of you what you dream about when you dream about running!

#4 HOW to Make a Report Engaging?

 

My goal is to make a report speak to the people about the people. But the massive field of a typical NYRR race makes it impossible to speak about all the Flyer participants. How can I still make my report appealing to a large, diverse audience? My fourth detective question was clearly the most daunting of all. This is where I turned to Flyer Dana McLaren for inspiration.

 

Dana had written race reports on the Flyers’ website homepage for 17 years. Her lively, entertaining reports within the scroll-down menu of the former FLYERS NEWS FLASH motivated hundreds of Flyers, myself included, for which she deserves huge credit. I spoke with Dana about her job as race reporter. 

“Doing the race reports for 17 years was not part of a plan for the website,” she told me. “Over time, the race reports started taking shape in a format that was fun to write, didn’t take an excess of time, and let me indulge what my mom always nicely called a quirky sense of humor.”

 

Ah, Dana’s legendary humor!😂 I asked her what she did to keep her reports so interesting and entertaining. 

“I honestly didn’t do anything except write with plenty of adjectives,”Dana said. “A little embellishment, and a headline that I tried to make a little funny, a little snarky, or worded so that it might make people laugh inappropriately.” Dana did not need to make things up in her reports to keep them engaging. “With all the exciting race stories that unfolded every week,” she told me, “there was always something interesting to try showcasing in words!”

 

#5 WHO Do We Talk About in a Blog Race Report?

 

With Dana setting a very high bar, I have some pretty big running shoes to fill!🩰👟👠👢👡 A good way to grab readers’ attention – I figured – would be to let the Flyers speak for themselves and join in the storytelling. The fact is not all of us may come on top of the team or win an age group award or score a high age-grade performance percentage. 

But we all have a story to tell and a personal achievement to be proud of. Your achievements can bring something extraordinary to the team. Whether you are proud because you set a PR, you ran with a child or a parent or a puppy, you managed to keep a streak alive, you ran in a neighborhood you are especially attached to, or you demonstrated unique singing skills in singing the national anthem at the start of the race, you are all winners, and I want the whole Flyers community to read about your win in our Blog Race Reports so that we can all celebrate together with you. 

That is why I make a point of listening to different voices and getting quotes of people who have a significant connection with the race, and an important story to share. 

 

Interviewing people is probably what I love most about writing my race reports. It is also the most challenging part of the work, because it requires picking someone who has a particular story to share in connection with the race. 

I seldom know which Flyer I will feature in a report before the race. My pick usually becomes apparent after the race, as information starts flowing in about the race through my informal contacts. Think for example of the Grete’s Great Gallop 10K last August. When it turned out that the Flyer who led the women’s team, Jeanhie H, had just returned from Norway, Grete’s home country, less than 48 hours before the race, there could possibly be no doubt she would be the one. 

Once I know who I want to feature in the report, I reach out to the person to check if they are available for a short interview and I ask them a couple of targeted questions. The response is usually enthusiastic, and I quickly rearrange and edit it in the overall story. I loved it when Jeanhie H talked about her runs during her trip to Norway and her plans on running the Oslo Half in 2023!

Unfortunately, there are plenty of Flyers outside my network, and there are loads of nice stories I am missing out.  Please let the Blog Team Know of Your Achievements So We Can Celebrate Together!

 

#6 WHERE does the Teamwork Start?

 

Once I have finished writing my draft race report, I call into action the rest of the Blog Team -- Blogkeepers Dave and Melissa. Their input to the process is terrific. They take turns in reviewing my draft for editing and embellishing, add photos to the piece, and format it to publish on the Flyers website, Melissa usually beautifies the graphics with her own personal selection of emojis 😍💕💥  

After each report is published on the blog, the Blogkeepers promote it via Flyers Facebook and via Flyer Lisa Konorty on Flyers Instagram. We want you to know as soon as the report is out there for you to read and enjoy!

 

Pulling out and aggregating all the relevant data from the NYRR database is tricky. Mistakes or omissions occasionally slip through the cracks. We once forgot that a run was a club points race, and another time we did not mention an age team award. It hurts when mistakes happen, and all we can do is correct the piece and apologize. No one is perfect after all! 🙏

 

 

And There You Go! 😊

 

The Blog Team hopes you like the new format of the Flyers race reports. 2022 has been a trial period. Going forward, the team decided we will post comprehensive reports only for the NYRR club points races (there will be 11 of them in 2023), plus a 12th race (to be announced) that will count towards the Flyers awards🏆 according to the club's award guidelines, as well as any additional NYRR half-marathons. 

All NYRR marquee events, as they are called in NYRR lingo (such as the NYC Half), will thus be covered. All other NYRR races will still be reported, but in a more succinct way and only on Flyers Facebook.

 

That’s all folks! Happy New Year to all Flyers!🎉 Enjoy running in the new year – and we hope you enjoy the race reports!

 

-Francesco P

NY Flyers Blog Race Reporter, #NYRRstaff

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