Marathon

I had a glimpse of the New York City Marathon's last few miles through the trees in Central Park last fall, but it was altogether a different experience to see the race up close in Brooklyn, among the other onlookers. I was fascinated to see people cheering the runners on by name, because they would cheer indiscriminately and enthusiastically for all those whose names they could pronounce. It was great to see how this seemed to encourage the runners, some of whom looked back to see who was cheering. It was also wonderful to see so many countries represented among the runners, who had flags painted on their faces or on their backs, because New York is considered an "international" city, after all. I also enjoyed some of the humorous costumes, like the clown wigs and tutus, which were a fun contrast to something that requires so much dedication. Bravo, runners, and bravo, New York City!