The long day of coverage for the New York City Marathon begins around 7 in the morning. I push the snooze button on my Iphone 6 three times, giving me 21 more minutes. Then, there is the Taxi ride, trying to see how close we can get to the Tavern on the Green/Marathon Pavilion. I get to West 64th and Broadway, so about a 1 kilometer walk to the Pavilion.
Ghirmay Ghebrselassie, photo by PhotoRun.net
Then, the day begins.
Covering the marathon live takes three to three and one half hours. After that, I gather information, discuss with fellow writers and begin writing. The writing includes editing on articles by Carolyn Mather, Sabrina Yohannes, David Hunter and EME News. I also wrote a piece on the women’s race, with plans for pieces on the men’s race, Abdi Abdirahman, and Molly Huddle.
I admire the athletes I write about. I try to appreciate the work and support that goes into building a global event. I presuppose that most involved in our sport want to see it progress. I try to be a critical observer rather than a cynical observer.
As I walked out of the Pavilion for the last time, around 6 pm on Sunday night, I was inspired by the light show and commentary celebrating the final finishers of the Marathon. I was inspired to record my live thoughts on the race, the New York City Marathon, Fred Lebow and Allan Steinfeld. I hope you like it. I believe it is one of my best audio commentaries.
