Marathon Weekend!

Every fall I pledge that I'm not gonna get caught up in the marathon hoopla. That it won't interfere with my life ad that it will just be a normal day. On the years we've had AM church I've enjoyed making my way across 4th Ave without worrying about getting hit. But it's also a bit eerie. I get to see the first pack of front runners (who run by just a bit before church starts). I've also seen the walkers/slow runners on my way home. And every year - I cry... this year was no different:

Checking out the hoopla, trying to decide if I want to walk up and be a part of it... (check out the cool yellow tree!)

Fun catching this guy taking pictures - funny that we had this idea at the same time!

Never knew I was this close to the 10k... amazing what walking down a few blocks will reveal!

I love seeing the unique running outfits!

And this is where the tears begin. Even a block away (3rd Ave instead of 4th Ave) you can hear the cheering. These "rude" New Yorkers give up their Sunday morning to come out and cheer on strangers. Calling out things they see on their shirts: names or flags

Bands set up all along the route playing & singing to encourage the runners on. You'd also see sound systems (the one at my old laundry mat was playing the Macarena and "you've got to move it, move it" the 2 times I walked by)

People will just stand along the route and give things away. This guy has Snickers bars. Up the avenue were people with bananas. The local grocery store had buy 1/get 1 free for packages of bottled water.

I needed to get across the avenue and the fireman I asked about etiquette ask me how fast I ran. He told me I could cross as long as I didn't interfere. This is what I had to run through...

Everyone cheering on folks at 9th St. Even the fire department came out to cheer them on!

I will miss this HUGE sense of community. How everyone comes together to cheer on this weekend visitors.

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Labor of Love (Part 1 of 3)

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