Mary McKenna and Brian Ingarfield, Managing Director and General Manager respectively of Tour America, are themselves going to ‘tour‘ all five boroughs of New York City on 6th November – by running the New York City Marathon to raise funds for children’s charity Barnados.
The first New York City Marathon in 1970 looped through Central Park several times, and out of 127 entrants, 55 crossed the finish line. Now the race attracts more than 100,000 applicants every year – most are selected in a lottery draw, but runners are guaranteed entry if they meet certain qualifying times. In 2010, 45,103 runners finished the race.
Marathon Weekend starts with the Opening Ceremony on Friday 4th November at Central Park. The evening will showcase runners from around the world in a cultural parade, followed by fireworks and a dance party – free and open to everyone. For those wishing to test their running skills, the inaugural NYRR Dash to the finish line (5K) will be open to all – friends and family, marathoners and non-marathoners are welcome. The unique route starts near the United Nations and takes runners across 42nd Street, then heads uptown into Central Park for the final dash across the world-renowned ING New York City Marathon finish line.
