Six Virtual Marathoners Share Their Experiences

Running a marathon is a huge challenge, but to do so without the support of an organized event and all the help that comes with it is at another level. In 2018, for the first time ever, New York Road Runners held a virtual marathon to give runners around the world the chance to do just that. The TCS New York City Marathon – Virtual 26.2M offered the opportunity to earn a guaranteed spot at this year's marathon to the runners who entered and completed the race

Now, only a week away from race day, those runners are heading to New York from all over the world to reap the reward of their hard work. Looking back a year later, a handful of these extraordinary athletes shared what that race was like for them.

Martyn Hancock
Australia

Running the New York City Marathon has been a goal of mine for a long time. I visited New York 10 years ago, but have always wanted to come back. Living in Brisbane, Australia, I wanted to be the first person in the world to finish the virtual marathon. So on November 1, 2018, starting at 4:30 a.m., I headed down to the Brisbane River to start the marathon. I organized for two friends, Darren and Leigh, to run a half marathon each to keep me company. My goal was to beat my Melbourne Marathon time from three weeks earlier where I went in the race a little sick and collapsed over the line in 3:43 and was subsequently sick for the next week.

Brisbane is such a lovely place to run with paths lining the banks of the river on both sides with a number of bridges available to cross. My time that day was 3:40. Immediately I uploaded the run to Strava and completed my goal of being the first in the world to complete the challenge.

Coming to New York to compete in the marathon is a long journey, so [I] decided to turn the trip into a little marathon adventure. I’ve now completed the Bank of America Chicago Marathon in a new personal best of 3:21 and, just one week later, completed the Detroit Free Press Marathon in a very pleasing 3:23–having not fully recovered from Chicago. I’m so excited to hit the course on New York and I know that if my body recovers in time, I will be hitting my peak which is an amazing experience to feel when you are 47 years old. Thank you to NYRR for this wonderful opportunity.

Maya Mwanawasa
Zambia

Sometime last year, my friend Chilelu Kakanwa from San Antonio, TX, tagged me in a Facebook post that was advertising the virtual marathon. I thought it was a scam for a few minutes but when I read about how tough it was to earn a ballot [drawing] spot for the NYC Marathon, I jumped right into it and signed up. I was training for the BMW Berlin Marathon and the Bank of America Chicago Marathon anyway and I knew I would be fit enough to run a marathon then.

We didn't have any races coming up in Lusaka, Zambia, at the time for me to take advantage of and use that as part of my virtual 26.2 experience, and that's where the biggest problem lay! The last resort was to gather a few friends to accompany me as I ran a marathon.

The whole experience was memorable despite it being a very hot and humid day. My tribe came out and showed me love on November 1, 2018, when I ran the virtual marathon. We started as a group of six with five people running with me up to 25K and one person completing the full 26.2 miles with me.

My brother did a good job at being the water guy following behind us as we ran! I hit a serious wall at about 30K and I thought that was the end of the road for me! My friend Hilary, whom I fondly call my "cousin," pumped some words into my head and kept telling me to stay in the fight! I stayed in the fight and I was able to finish the marathon distance in about 4 hours and 54 minutes!

Susan Spillane
Ireland

On November 1, 2018, a bright but cold Thursday, I headed off to the incredible Phoenix Park in Dublin, Ireland to run the inaugural NYRR Virtual TCS New York City Marathon. To say I was excited was an understatement and even though I’ve run eight marathons, there was a little bit of anxiety as this was the first time I would run the marathon distance without the support system of an organized marathon course.

Months beforehand I had planned my route–four laps of the flatter side of the park, each loop just a little over 6.5 miles, which I practiced a good few times on the lead-up to the virtual marathon.

The park itself was busy as it was the school holidays, so there were plenty of people about. However, what made the run for me was that I had support from my running club and running friends on each loop.

As the magical 26.2 miles came up on my watch, I rang my husband and started singing “New York, New York” (much to the amusement of passersby!).

Thanks to NYRR, not only had I completed a marathon on my own terms, I had also secured my place for the 2019 TCS New York City Marathon.

Betsy Prator-Perez
Florida

After four years of trying to get a spot to run NYC Marathon through the drawing, I signed up for the TCS New York City Virtual Marathon. I started training for it in July in the heat and humidity of the Florida summer, and I had to constantly remind myself why I was doing it: Guaranteed entry.

On November 3, 2018, I ran the virtual race in Tampa. It started at 6:00 a.m. and it was still dark, so my husband rode his bike for the first six miles of my run to keep me company. I then ran the rest, 20.2 miles, alone. I finished it literally at my driveway with my husband, four daughters (ages 12, 9, and 2-year-old twins) and my mom cheering me on with signs, flowers, and a “finisher medal” made by one of my daughters using a cardboard from a shoe box.

It was my first virtual race, and overall it was a great experience. It became more than just a way for me to run the marathon in New York in 2019. I took up running in 2011 while going through a divorce as a stress-reliever. Training and running the virtual race for the NYC Marathon made me realize what I had become these past few years–a distance runner who truly embodies what an endurance athlete is made of: persistence and determination.

Brandie McGhee
Georgia

I ran my virtual marathon in Atlanta, Georgia. I spent days trying to create a route that wasn't extremely hilly considering how Atlanta is known as “heat, hills, and humidity.” I was joined by two friends at 5:30am on November 1, 2018, to run our race! We were blessed with great sole sisters who created hydration stations along our route and met us at the end.

A quote I think is perfect to describe my experience is: “Nothing great is ever achieved alone.”

Sarah Lau-Melby
Wisconsin

I am so happy I got the chance to do this virtual race and now [to] run the in-person marathon. New York was a bucket list for me for the last six years, as I am trying to run a race in all 50 states. I own a small fitness and massage studio called GET Fit Studio and I work to inspire many to be active and healthy daily. We have a running group that runs twice a week, all levels and ages.

I had a large group of friends that ran portions of my virtual run with me to keep me on track and support me, it was awesome!

If you’re inspired to take on 26.2 on your own this fall, you still can! Sign up for the TCS New York City Marathon – Virtual 26.2M via the Run for the Medal or Run for the Love of Running tiers and complete your virtual race anytime between October 31 and November 3.