Tag Archives: running

2024 – A Year in Review

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While I spent a good part of 2023 working several jobs to help pay for my son’s college, my focus in 2024 was to provide more balance in my life between work and fun and interesting activities. I also tried to focus on working more gigs as a background actor.

In January, the theme in my school was ‘clothing’. Since my daughter knows how to sew, I invited her to my preschool class as a special guest and showed my students how to sew.

I was a stand-in for a card dealer on a TV show called The Equalizer starring Queen Latifah.

After I picked up my son in Ithaca from a ski trip at Mount Tremblant in Canada, we decided to visit my cousin Jeff’s pizzeria Cheesy Charlie in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

In February, I had the privilege of being invited to the NYRR’s Club Night Awards Ceremony. There, I got to see my good friend Will Sanchez receive the highly-coveted Joe Kleinerman Award for his many years of producing and hosting the show Gotta Run With Will. In 10 years, Will has interviewed more than 300 runners with special stories to tell that were inspiring, historical, and intriguing. The photo below features previous special guests on Will’s show including Nicoletta Narangis, Ruth Gursky, and Michael Ring. Seated is George Hirsch who is Chairman Emeritus of the NYRR. My arm is around Monika, Will’s wife.

I worked a background gig in New Jersey portraying a ‘jogger’ in a park in a night scene that featured Billy Crystal. Unfortunately, I was not used due to too many joggers being hired for that scene, but I did get paid and fed that day, so there’s that.

In March, I proudly saw my brother Aaron being inducted as an official member of the Polar Bear Club. He had spent the season participating in many plunges with the Polar Bears and this qualified him to be official.

My friend and fellow runner Amy Padnani, a reporter who works at the Obituaries Desk for the New York Times, created an amazing feature called Overlooked. In this series, noteworthy people throughout the history of the NY Times who may have not received a proper obituary or any mention at all are given a proper send-off of the accomplishments they made throughout their lives. Many of these figures were either female, members of minority groups, or the LGBTQ community, and due to sexism, racism, and homophobia, their stories were not considered important at the time. I had the pleasure of interviewing Amy for an episode of Gotta Run With Will. She was promoting her book called Overlooked: A Celebration of Remarkable, Underappreciated People Who Broke the Rules and Changed the World. Reading her book to prepare for the interview was a great experience for me. The episode can be viewed by clicking here.

Both my daughter and my brother’s daughter are named Emma Pesin. Both are very creative and get along with each other fabulously. I am so glad that these two cousins collaborate on many fun and creative projects together.

In April, I was invited by Will Sanchez to attend a film screening for the documentary, “Photographic Justice, the Corky Lee Story”. It was a gripping documentary about Corky Lee, an Asian-American photographer who bravely took thousands of photos throughout several decades that illustrated the Asian experience in America. His photos helped to change public opinion as well as create policies that helped the Asian American community. The photo below features me posing with Philippe Day and Corky’s partner Karen Zhou with Will Sanchez to the right.

I was hired to portray a skier in a ski lodge scene for the film TOW. The ski lodge was really a golf house. We had to act like it was the middle of winter. Meanwhile, the temperature was 85 degrees outside.

I did a book signing in a Dyker Heights cafe. It was a great surprise to find that one of my customers was my son’s kindergarten teacher. I told her how great he was doing at Cornell University. He’s come a long way from being a problem child in kindergarten.

I celebrated Mother’s Day in May with my mom and brother Aaron in Coney Island. My mom loves Coney Island and we enjoyed our time together there at Nathan’s Famous.

I’ve been the assistant secretary for Neighborhood Advisory Board (NAB) 11 for the past few years. Members of NAB help decide how NAB-approved Federal and State agency money should be spent based on the needs of our community.  Approved projects may benefit the elderly, immigrants, our youth, the physical wellness of community members, public safety, education, and other community needs. In May, members of all NAB groups throughout New York City met in Manhattan for a party to celebrate our accomplishments.

When my school year ended in June, I decided to finally participate in the Coney Island Mermaid Parade after years of talking myself out of it. The parade does have a nautical theme, so I thought that wearing my special shark shirt would make me fit right in. I had no idea what to expect and was pleasantly surprised to hear so many spectators cheer me on as I marched with pirates, jellyfish, mermaids, and other people dressed according to the theme. Even a photographer from the Daily News took my picture and published it in the paper!

I spent Father’s Day with my daughter and father at his home in Leonia, New Jersey.

I worked a two-day overnight gig where I portrayed an onlooker to a car explosion that happened in a hotel parking lot. First, they filmed the explosion, then later, they filmed the car on fire as I and other onlookers watched the explosion while on camera. It was interesting to see actual firefighters put out the fire every time the camera stopped rolling.

Being a preschool teacher for 23 years now, I was very happy to find out that one of my former students is a full-grown adult and now loves to run. Yes, Patryk was only four years old when he entered my class and now he’s 24. We met up several times in the summer to run together at Clove Lakes Park in Staten Island. His dream is to one day run the NYC Marathon. I hope that I can help him.

July had both happiness and sadness for me. My uncle Marty passed away on July 17 after being sick in a military home for a long time. He inspired me to take up running when I was 13 years old after I witnessed him complete the 1980 NYC Marathon. He also motivated me to take up skiing and travel cross-country and I still do those things. My memories of Marty can be found here.

After many attempts at applying, in July, my son Hunter was accepted to be a research assistant for a professor at the University of West Virginia. He spent several weeks staying at a dorm there while getting paid a very nice weekly stipend. His time ended with a presentation of his research at an Undergraduate Research Symposium. While there, we visited the famous Falling Water house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in Central Pennsylvania.

In August, I held a book signing at a cafe in Park Slope, Brooklyn. I invited fellow author Eric Maldonado who had just published his book called Service (The Last Days Saga). Just two years ago, Eric came to my book signing at a cafe in New Jersey and purchased my book. It was exciting for me to be a fellow author with him at this event.

Before I dropped off my son for his third year at college, he wanted us to go on a trip to the Adirondacks. It was a long drive, but definitely worth it. We visited Lake Placid and went on hikes in the local mountains there. We visited Seneca Falls, which was the town that inspired Frank Capra to write the screenplay for It’s A Wonderful Life. It was such a thrill to be able to walk across the bridge that was featured in the film. There’s a true story about a man who lost his life saving a woman who jumped off of that bridge. That story provided the inspiration for the film. Seneca Falls was also the birthplace of the first meeting of the Woman’s Suffrage Movement.

Sadly, my friend Mark Vogt had succumbed to a catastrophic stroke in July. It took his family a week to decide to unplug his life support knowing that Mark would never come out of the coma he was in. Originally, I met Mark as we were fellow runners for the Staten Island Athletic Club. As avid runners, actors, and writers, we were both inseparable at times. We were involved in many adventure races and creative projects together. You can read my online memorial about what Mark meant to me here. There, you can see many photos and some videos we collaborated on together.

Before summer’s end, my brother Aaron and I got to hang out with our distant relative Mindy Passin Mentzel and her friend and fellow runner Kinga Tzach.

In September, I got hired along with my actor friend Pierre Candra to portray beachgoers for the new Adam Sandler film, Happy Gilmore 2. Within 15 minutes of being set up on the beach with other actors portraying beachgoers, we were removed from the beach. Production decided that they didn’t want people on the beach for the scene. I still got paid though.

After donating blood several times, I finally became a member of The Gallon Club. Members are those who have donated a gallon of their blood over time. I would like to thank Ryan John Knutsen and Michael Schnall for being role models for me. I used to faint when giving blood. I am proud that I have overcome that and I now donate blood about four times a year.

My brother and I participated in Artmageddon, an amazing art event that takes place throughout the community of Ditmas Park, Brooklyn. While I was signing my books for customers, my brother made balloon animals dressed as Happy the Clown. It was a great time for both of us.

My cousin Danielle Pesin got married to Joseph Weiler on top of a mountain in New Jersey. Guests had to take a chair lift to the top to attend the ceremony. It was a beautiful event seeing the bride and groom exchange their vows with views of a sprawling valley below them.

I participated in a 5k race that benefitted the Guild for Exceptional Children. Our CEO Joe Riley was instrumental in making this event happen. Joe cares so much about the special population at our school and is always looking for new fundraising activities to help support the special programs. Pictured below are Joe and myself with the couple who collects new toys from various organizations. These toys are given out by Santa to all the preschool children in my school for the holidays.

I was again hired to be in Adam Sandler’s Happy Gilmore 2, but this time as a cop. I waited in holding all day with a few other actors portraying cops. They never used us, but we were still paid.

Below is yet another fun picture of the two Emma Pesins, this time they are dressed to celebrate Halloween together.

In November, I participated in the Second Annual Great Gobbler 6-Hour Mountain Bike Race. I decided to stop riding after completing two 13-mile loops and I’m glad that I did. I am getting older and these kinds of events are taking a toll on my body. Pictured below is me with Steve Lee and Michael Varriano. They are runners like me who are not afraid to engage in other non-running events.

I brought my kids to visit Clinton, New Jersey to take photos of them for our holiday card. The photo below was the winner.

My kids and I visited my dad for Thanksgiving at his home in Leonia, New Jersey.

I completed my sixth year as a part-time pacer for the Mile High Run Club. Even though it doesn’t pay much, it’s such a pleasure to use my running ability to help others achieve their marathon dreams.

A runner from Uganda emailed Dave Panza, the President of my Staten Island running club. He told David that he was going to be visiting Staten Island for a few days and if he knew anyone who could let him stay overnight. David forwarded the email to me asking me if I had any ideas on how we can help Noel Thomas Kalunda, a man who created the non-profit schoolsnotstreets.org. This organization helps get children off the streets by helping them get boarding and an education. I asked Bob Orazem, a lifelong runner from Staten Island if he could help me find Noel a place to stay. Bob immediately offered his home to Noel, which was such a gracious move. It was such a great feeling that I was able to make this connection between Bob and Noel. I was able to invite Noel to a group trail run with the Ridge Runners in the Staten Island Greenbelt. In the photo below at the right, I am flanked by Noel and Bob.

One Friday in December, I was sick and had slept for over 10 hours. I suddenly got up to walk, which affected my blood flow. I quickly grew faint and grabbed a heavy chair thinking that it would somehow prevent me from falling. Instead, I still fell, but had brought the chair down towards me as I fell. The chair hit me in the head above my eye. I felt very dizzy and got scared. I called the ambulance for myself to make sure that I was alright. After being tested and passing all tests, I was sent home. I was left with an achy head and a black eye. After two weeks, my eye was healing well.

My year ended by receiving a surprise package of Kona coffee, chocolate-covered macadamias, and pineapple candies that came from my cousin Andrew Zeitlin in Hawaii. What a nice surprise and a great way to end 2024.

It was a good run

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In 2018, a runner named John Henwood contacted me out of the blue asking if I’d like to be a professional pacer for the Mile High Run Club. He had found me through my connection with the New York Road Runners Club as a volunteer pacer. I had paced three New York City Marathons and a bunch of half marathons for them, so he knew I had the skills for this job. I started working for John right away by leading paced group runs for those who were training for the 2018 NYC Marathon.

Pacing was a part-time gig consisting of about 32 Saturday mornings a year (16 for the Brooklyn Half training program and 16 for the NYC Marathon training program). I instantly fell in love with the job. As a runner for most of my life, I have achieved everything that I needed through the sport of running at that point. I was now at the stage where I got great pleasure out of helping others by preparing them for the world’s greatest marathon. Week after week, I would lead a group of young runners for long runs along various routes throughout Manhattan while we spent our time engaged in fun and casual banter. I thought that I could do this job for the rest of my life and looked forward to doing it every year until I was 80 years old. Boy, was I wrong!

It is now 2024. Of the six years of pacing for Mile High and 42 years of running, the combination of running and aging has ravaged my body. Like an old car that still barely works, I can no longer hold my pace without pushing my body to its physical limits. What was once an enjoyable challenge has devolved into a painful chore. I know that I must now transition out of this job for my own health and safety.

Now that the 2024 marathon training season is over, I can spend my time recovering and reflecting on all of the great memories that I had helping many runners achieve their marathon dreams.

I want to thank my fellow pacers from Mile High who were constant role models for me, especially during times when it was getting harder for me to do my job within the last two years. Some of them gladly switched with me when I had to move to a slower pace group on more than one occasion. They are Philippe Day, Jacky Lee, Arielle Disick, Carol Buonanno, Rhonda Braun, and Anne Szustek Talbot. I’d like to give a special shout-out to Dominic Davis, our experienced pace captain with vast running knowledge who always greeted us with a big encouraging smile each week.

I also want to thank all of the runners who joined my weekly pace group through the years. I had a lot of fun running with all of you. While you may have great memories of completing the NYC Marathon, I will have great memories of helping you along your journey.

Martin “Marty” Pesin – In Memoriam

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November 1, 1946 – July 17, 2024

Besides my own father, my uncle Marty had the biggest influence on my life. Back in 1980 when I was just 13 years old, I witnessed Marty completing the New York City Marathon. I was an impressionable young man at the time and his accomplishment inspired me to take up running. Now, 44 years and nine marathons later, I am still running. Through the years, I would often speak with Marty over the phone and tell him about the various running adventures that I would be involved with and how he was responsible for setting me in that direction. In 2019, I completed a 50-mile trail race. Marty was so excited and amazed that I had the endurance to complete that feat in less than 12 hours. A month after that event, I became even more of an inspiration to him when I attempted to run a 100-mile race around the perimeter of four of the five boroughs of New York City. Even though I quit at mile 37, Marty was in absolute awe. I could sense a big smile on his face while we talked on the phone about my experience. Today, I am still running and it has made such a positive impact in many areas of my life.

Marty also had a life-long love, or should I say addiction, to skiing. During my college years in the late 1980s, Marty would wear me down repeatedly talking about his skiing stories to the point where I just had to experience the sport myself. Once I went skiing with him, I was hooked. Last December, I brought my son Hunter with me on a one-week ski trip to Vermont. I called Marty from Killington Mountain while we were sitting on a ski lift and explained to him what fun we were having together. My son is now hooked and is currently skiing on the most challenging slopes. I even witnessed him flying through the air after skiing off a ramp much like Marty would have done when he was younger.

When it came to traveling, Marty had a wanderlust for visiting places of natural beauty. When I was in my 20s, he would often inspire me with stories about the many national parks he visited during his cross-country journeys across America. Places such as the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, and Yellowstone were described by Marty in reverential detail. Although he was not religious, his descriptions of these places were often Godly and made it seem that I would be closer to The Almighty if I visited them. Marty often encouraged me to travel cross-country which I finally did with my wife during the summer of 1999. He helped me plan that trip and told me all of the must-see places that we had to visit. We went on an 8,000-mile journey around our great country that lasted for 31 days. I called Marty while at the Grand Canyon and told him how amazing it was to be there and thanked him for his advice. I know that that phone call stayed with him for a very long time.

While Marty was an intelligent person, he lived a somewhat Forest Gumpian life. With two parents who were often working, Marty grew up on the streets of Brooklyn during his youth often playing basketball and other sports with my father and kids from around the neighborhood. In 1967, Marty was drafted by the US Army to fight in Vietnam. During the 1970s, he enjoyed living the hippie lifestyle and went to Brooklyn College. He worked various stints as a cab driver and as a photographer. Throughout the ’80s and ’90s, he was a stockbroker.

During the summer of 2023, I spent Father’s Day weekend backpacking at Bear Mountain with my two children. The following day, we picked up Marty at the military home where he resided which was near our hike. We drove him to a cafe to enjoy lunch together. It was an emotional meeting and Marty appreciated my gesture to the point where he was in tears. I am glad that my children and I had a special moment with Marty while he was still alive. That was the last time that we would see him.

Marty is survived by his two children, Ryan and Danielle, and his former wife Maria.

Marty with my kids on Father’s Day, 2023. This would be the last time that we visited him before he passed. My kids and I had just come back from an overnight backpacking trip at Bear Mountain. Since Marty lived nearby, it made sense for us to visit him, especially on Father’s Day.

Below are photos of Marty and his fellow soldiers during the Vietnam War. Photos were taken around 1968, a year after my birth in 1967. Photo credit goes to Bernie Weinstein who served with Marty during the War. Bernie credits Marty with saving his life who became his lifelong friend after they both served.

A poem that Marty had written while serving in Vietnam in the late 1960s.

How to prepare not to run the NYC Marathon

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There are many articles written about strategies on how to run the NYC Marathon.  Being a seven-time participant who chose not to run it this year due to extreme laziness and complete disinterest, I thought it would be beneficial to those who are also not running it to get some good advice on the dos and don’ts of non-participation of this life-changing event.  Just like for the runners who are running it, there is a specific timeframe to adhere to that will help those who don’t plan on running it.

For those who are serious about training for the NYC Marathon, their self-inflicted torture traditionally begins in July.  These wannabe marathoners spend almost every single day of the month running.  Their weekly training regimen may include a track workout, speed drills, a tempo run, and a long run, even on the hottest and most humid of days.  With a full-time job to go to and many with families to take care of, these runners will be both physically and mentally exhausted due to their relentless training.  Since you are not running the marathon this year, you will not be physically or mentally exhausted and your life will go on as usual.  When you get home from work, you can just relax, eat dinner, watch TV, and look forward to another day of not running.

In August, the weather gets even hotter and more humid.  But hey, you’ve already trained for a month and there’s no stopping you now. Plus you forked over a non-refundable $300 registration fee in June to run this costly race, so you’re pretty much screwed.  Those who are not running it did not have to cough up big money to endure a few hours of abuse come November.  They will be sitting comfortably in their air-conditioned living rooms looking out the window at the sweaty losers who are marathon training outside in an environment that should only be fit for the devil.

Finally, it’s September.  The weather has cooled off, but now if you have kids, they have to go back to school which will require a large outlay of parenting energy.  Doesn’t anybody in the family understand that mom and dad have a race to prepare for?!  During this time, you may want to consider giving up your kids for adoption.  Those who are not running the marathon may wake up on a Saturday morning to go on a nice family trip upstate to go see the Fall colors.  Apple-picking is also another great option, but definitely not running.

For those who are not running the NYC Marathon, October is the perfect month to check in on your hopeless friends who are now in their fourth month of marathon training.  You have that one friend who had to cancel a major family event so that they could get in their 23-mile-long training run.  Their spouse is already threatening divorce and can’t wait until it’s all over so that the family can get back to a normal life again.  Since you are not running it, you completely savor the lovely Fall weather.  You wake up late on the weekends and enjoy going out with your family for a wonderful Sunday brunch.  While brunching with your family, you notice an empty table next to yours.  That table would have been for your marathoning friend who is now too tired from their long run this morning and is sleeping in at 1:00 pm on a wasted Sunday afternoon.

It is now the second Sunday in November and it’s time to run the NYC Marathon!  Those running it cannot possibly sleep the night before, yet they have to leave their homes at an ungodly hour the morning of to get to the race start.  Then they have to wait two hours to actually begin running in their wave.  It’s torture to have to wait for so long, and you’re freezing your butt off on a cold November morning.  While your marathoning friend sits and waits to run a distance that guarantees serious post-race leg trauma over the next few days, you finally wake up, turn on the TV, and watch the NYC Marathon in the comfort of your own home.  You sit back in your recliner and reflect on all the months that you didn’t have to train for this year’s marathon.

By choosing to enjoy life and not running this year’s NYC Marathon, you will have achieved something that will make many marathoners envious.  The memories of not running this year’s NYC Marathon will last a lifetime.

Running Unites Us Beyond Politics

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I belong to two running clubs. One is conservative and one is liberal.

Being a person whose political beliefs are somewhere between moderate and liberal, you would think that I would favor one club over the other. The truth is that I love both clubs equally regardless of their political leanings. You see, running overcomes everything. It’s the common denominator that brings people together.

Running is a very innate human activity. Cavepeople have been doing this running thing since the dawn of man when they had to either run to catch their meals or run away from becoming a meal. Even though our intellects have evolved over time, there are still some primitive inclinations in all of us. Selfishness, bigotry, ignorance, and violence are all part of the dark underbelly of the human condition. Running erases these tendencies. It also unites all of us regardless of our dissimilar moral, social, and political ideologies.

Whether you are a conservative, a liberal, or something in between, runners share the same values that never change. Camaraderie, goal-setting, fitness, motivational support, and teamwork are traits that runners of all ilks commonly exhibit.

In today’s divisive political climate, I am happy to be a part of an activity where politics doesn’t matter and being the best we can be as human beings does.

Matthew Rees of Swansea Harrier (2nd L) helping an ailing David Wyeth of Chorlton Runners (2nd R) down The Mall to finish the Virgin Money London Marathon. Rees stated that “Helping him was more important than the race time”.

The rainbow amidst the storm: How one LGBT member overcame hate by practicing love

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Pride Photo

Members of the Young Democrats of Richmond County and the Pride Center of Staten Island participate in a “Rainbow Run” to support members of the LGBT community who are prohibited each year from marching in the Staten Island St. Patrick’s Day Parade. (March 4, 2018)

Being New Yorkers, one would think that we live in an open-minded society, but they would be wrong.  Even though our City as a whole is generally liberal-minded, diverse, and accepting, there are still those throughout the City with conservative beliefs who choose to practice prejudice and hate over acceptance and love.  Exactly a year ago, I wrote an article and sent it to the local paper, the Staten Island Advance.  Even though it was never published, I felt it necessary to share my story as it relates to one of my gay friends living in Staten Island and his experience running the 2017 Forest Avenue Mile, an annual race that is very popular throughout the Staten Island running community.  Reading his story will help others understand what the gay experience is like in a society that still has a long way to go in accepting others who may be different from you.

Below is the article in it’s entirety.

C’mon Staten Islanders, you’re better than that!
By Josh Pesin

I love Staten Island. I love the people, the communities, and the strong sense of patriotism, volunteerism and charity that permeates throughout all corners of the borough. When the tsunami of 2004 devastated Sri Lanka, Staten Islanders were the single largest donors to help that country. Staten Island is home to many public service workers who leave behind their loved ones every single day to serve and protect the City. Staten Islanders have engaged in grassroots causes from cancer awareness walks to pet adoption events and everything in between. Over the years, the borough has become more culturally diverse. All the new Polish, Albanian, Dominican, Russian, and other cultural businesses that have been popping up throughout the borough can attest to that.

You would think that I have only good things to say about the Island and I wish that were true. Something happened a few weeks ago in a very public way that reared Staten Island’s ugly head and reminded me that the Island is far from idyllic.

My running club, the Staten Island Athletic Club, hosted a one-mile race called The Forest Avenue Mile. This annual event takes place along the same route as the Staten Island St. Patrick’s Day Parade, an event that begins immediately after the ending of the race. With the help of our club president and members who share a common love for running, we make all new members feel welcome including those from the LGBT community whose population has been gradually growing in our club. I am friends with them and I’ve found them to be great people. Upon hearing that the LGBT community was not allowed to march in the Parade yet again, one of our club members, Chris, wore a rainbow-striped race shirt as a form of solidarity during the race. As the race began and the runners went off, Chris ran by throngs of families who were lined up along the Parade route. What happened to Chris during the race can best be summed up by what he posted on a social media site later that day:

“Today I pushed myself to a new height. Today I strived to be better than I was yesterday; better than I was last month; better than I was last year. I was blessed by a crowd of supporters including family, friends, acquaintances, and strangers. Running with my pride on full display for a borough and community that is negligent and hateful towards myself and my community, refusing to allow the LGBT community to march in the parade. Today I heard cheers for me. I saw people beaming with pride about my singlet. I gave people hope, along with my fellow runners with the Young Democrats of Richmond County. Today I heard more jeers than cheers. I heard people screaming pussy. I faintly blocked out the crowd hollering faggot. I didn’t allow the disgusted looks and leering stares deject me from my goals. Today I was me. Today I was freer than I have ever been. More open and vulnerable than I ever considered possible. Today I had more love for myself than I have ever felt before. Swelling with pride, with confidence, with self acceptance. Today I was fearless. To everyone who has followed my journey and continues to support me as I pursue and achieve my goals. As much inspiration as I gain from myself, all your love and support inspires me to be a greater runner and person. Today I was me. Today I was free. And tomorrow I will wake up a better version of myself.”

Chris later told me that people of all ages; children, teens and adults, were chanting gay-related obscenities at him along the route.  Out of the 140 runners who ran the race that day, Chris came in third place. Chris’ race performance and his resolve to overcome prejudice and hate to achieve success reaffirmed my belief that Staten Island can still be a great place to live if only more people embraced diversity like him.

The Resurrection of the Brooklyn Triple Crown

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BTC Photo

The Brooklyn Triple Crown, a wildly popular race series that ended with the destruction caused by Hurricane Sandy back in 2012, made its triumphant return this year. Like the mythological Phoenix, this series came out of the ashes of its former self into something fresh and new. Originally comprised of the Dolan 5k, Cosme 5k, and Hoban 5-Miler under the directorship of Edwin Cosme, this year the race series was resurrected into three brand-new inaugural races with the help of Mark Vogt of Complete Race Solutions. This new series consisted of the Bay Ridge 4-Miler, Coney Island Creek 5k, and the Caesar’s Bay 5-Miler.

The series kicked off with the Bay Ridge 4-Miler in June. Tropical storm Cindy brought with it a heavy downpour of rain throughout the previous night and into race morning. Fortunately, with only 30 minutes before the race started, the skies cleared and the Sun came out just in time for the runners to toe the line. The race consisted of three distinct segments; the 79th Street Playground, the hilly Shore Road pedestrian path, and the flat Shore Promenade. Visual elements along the course included running up and down a staircase, the Narrows Botanical Garden, and the inspiring views of the Narrows along the Shore Promenade. A portion of the proceeds were donated to the Shore Road Conservancy.

Louise Demeo, a runner from Staten Island, broke her 3-mile personal record at the 3-mile mark of the race. This was the first 4-miler she had ever run. Diane Sassone of Bay Ridge had a very emotional response to this race. She said, “I had the pleasure of running two of the three Brooklyn Triple Crown races. There was a great build up being I am a Brooklynite who belongs to a Staten Island running club. It was that “must do” on my short list. The first race was a no-brainer being it was in my Bay Ridge Hood. I made sure my warm-up was an approximately half mile run in the rain to the start. Mark, Jenn and Rob Lenza were all there to welcome the runners. They are a few of the most dedicated people I know. Soon after, the race director arrived with his family in tow. Shortly after that, Bay Ridges’ own Senator Marty Golden arrived and spoke a few words and wished us well. At gun time, the sun suddenly came out and the steam was rising from the ground. I knew it was going to be a difficult one for me being I haven’t trained. But hey, it’s Bay Ridge, I had to be there. At the second volunteer spot, the director’s family was there directing and cheering the runners. What a great experience to be part of a family production! At the third volunteer station, his brother was handing out water. If it wasn’t for his comedic chanting, I may have DNF’d. I saw all these family members on the way back before spotting his daughter Emma with her camera at the finish. I tried to look as happy as I was feeling. (I really didn’t feel good, it was wicked hot). Beside the fact that this race was along my favorite running route, the Promenade, being part of a successful event that included family and friends was priceless. It was a great run for me. Not for time, but for the fact that I did what I love, in a place that I love and it was put on by people who love what they do. I look forward to running this one again next year.

A few weeks later, the Coney Island Creek 5k brought runners six miles south to Kaiser Park, a venue with amazing views of the Creek and the Verrazano Bridge. This small location demanded a 5k route that was full of exhilarating twists and turns much like the nearby Cyclones Roller Coaster. The excitement culminated when runners sprinted their last quarter-mile of the race on a track that was inside the park. The organizer of this race named it after the nearby creek to raise awareness to the greater Brooklyn community that Coney Island does in fact have a natural water habitat in need of conservation. Assembly member Pamela Harris spoke to the runners right before the race and mentioned how this event is a great asset to the Coney Island community. A portion of the proceeds from this race went to the Coney Island Beautification Project.

The series ended with the Caesar’s Bay 5-Miler in August. Race day was unseasonably cool and sunny in the 60s which was a perfect day for running. Assembly member William Colton officiated the start of the race after wishing all of the runners a great race. Many of the runners enjoyed the inspiring views of Caesar’s Bay and the grandeur of the Verrazano Bridge present throughout the course. As they made it to the 2.5-mile turnaround, their excitement grew as they could see the finish line from afar almost two miles away. Being a very flat course, runners were able to concentrate on their pace and speed as some strove to work on placing for trophies while others aimed to break their 5-mile personal records. A part of the proceeds for this race went to the Kiwanis of Brighton Beach and Coney Island.

Jacky Lee felt that the Caesar’s Bay race was the most challenging although she was still able to achieve a personal record with a 9:09 pace. Her children enjoyed running the Coney Island Creek race and helped pick runner’s names from a hat for a pizza raffle after the race.  For Amy Hernandez, the Brooklyn Triple Crown was a family affair. She and her husband Yakir and their two children Gabriel and Emily ran a few of the races in the series. They all enjoyed the events, especially the free pizza at the Caesar’s Bay post-race party.

Michael Ring, a life-long runner, member of the Prospect Park Track Club and survivor of GBS/CIDP, a rare and crippling muscle disease that affects the entire body, had completed all three race events under his own power. After contracting the disease three years ago, he was unable to engage in even the simplest of activities including standing up. Working hard with his physical therapist, he improved enough to complete the 2017 Brooklyn Half Marathon. He plans on completing the NYC Marathon this November. When asked about his time completing the Brooklyn Triple Crown series of races, he stated that by the third race, he felt like Norm from Cheers because everyone knew his name.

Laura Lombardo, a walker by choice who completed two of the race events, was an Achilles guide for Michael Ring. She said, “I was very grateful to Michael Ring and Jacky Lee for inspiring me to join Achilles International to guide those in need. They are a great group of runners to know. Even though I chose to walk and not run these events, participating in them was a thrill for me. During the races, I noticed that there was a lot of camaraderie amongst the runners. Amy Lenza, a Staten Island resident who ran all three events, had this to say about the series, “The highlight was running in Brooklyn in three different great neighborhoods and running with people from the Prospect Park Track Club”.

Race participant Lynn Holly-Love was a newly-minted runner as of last year. She had this to say about the series, “I appreciated having the three races scheduled throughout the summer because I don’t love to run in the heat and I needed the motivation. It was my first summer running season and I only ran my first race last November at the SIAC XC Championship at Freshkills Park. I was challenged and forced to push through and as a result I believe this made me a stronger runner. The courses varied in length and gave me the opportunity to run at longer distances. I also hit a PR for my fastest 5K at the Coney Island Creek race and placed 2nd in my age group. I enjoyed this running series and look forward to participating again next year”. Jennifer Marzella, a Staten Island native and active member of the Staten Island Athletic Club, was in shock after placing within the top three places in her 30-39 age group for each of the three race events. After being plagued by a year-long hamstring injury, she was ecstatic that she clinched the entire series for her age group. For Jennifer, running the Brooklyn races was like a homecoming for her since she remembers living in Bay Ridge while pushing her newborn daughter along the Promenade.

We’d like to thank all of the runners who participated and the following runners who ran at least two of the races in the series:

Amy Lenza, Angelique Demeo, Jazmine Alvarez, Jacky Lee, Lisa Swan, Alvin Prawda, Jennifer Marzella, Louise Demeo, Yakir Arteaga, Eduard Nogol, Lynn Holly Love, Michael Ring, Frank Tropea, Diane Sassone, Yolande Rose, Richard Cahn, Laura Lombardo, Davon Culley, Jonnie Soltan, Marc Cornier, John Cassidy, Ron Rudolph, Salvatore Pagano, Kathleen Lewis

We would also like to thank the following sponsors who helped make this series a success:

Unlimited Smiles, Bay Ridge Federal Credit Union, Klaygirl.com, IHOP of Coney Island, NYRET, The Vitamin Shoppe, Baya Bar, George Hamboussi Jr, Esq, Avenue O Multi-Specialty Clinic, Matoushi, My Three Sons Coffee Shop, Community Counseling, Fort Hamilton Foot Care, Sandro Frasca, DPM, Ben Bay Realty, Deloor Podiatry Group, Kitchen 21, Coney Island Brewery, Pizza D’Amore, Brooklyn Running Company, Chipotle, Gargiulo’s Italian Restaurant, Bagel Baazar, and Grimaldi’s of Coney Island.

Lastly, a big thank you to George Mattera, Matthew Lebow, Aaron Pesin, Jacky Lee, Richard and Kathleen Weaver, family members Emma, Hunter, and Bernie, the Explorers of the 60th Precinct, police officers Edward Raasch and Desiree Marino, Dionne Jordan Brown, Senator Marty Golden, Assembly Members William Colton and Pamela Harris, and Pamela Pettyjohn of the Coney Island Beautification Project (CIBP).

And of course, to Mark, Rob, Fred, and Tom of Complete Race Solutions. Without their expertise and equipment in putting on these events, these races wouldn’t have happened.

Boy, This Race Was A Real Pisser!

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Peeing Runner

During my Sunday long runs with the Staten Island Athletic Club, our masters captain Gus noticed I finished each run with a noticeable layer of thick salt across my forehead.  “Josh, you gotta hydrate more before, during and after your long runs”, was his response.  Keeping this in mind, I made sure I took his advice when I ran The 2013 Brooklyn Half Marathon.  The day before, I loaded up on several glassfuls of water.  The morning of the race, I had a big cup of coffee, then a few more cupfuls of H20.  I think I was hydrated enough and ready for the race.

We were in our start corrals and just moments away from the start of the race.  I was looking for an available port-o-potty, but they were all occupied.  I decide to hold it in; how bad can that be?

I was bent on breaking my pr (personal record) of 1:41:13 for this race.  I’ve run many times with my friend Jennifer, a dedicated runner who has been continually improving in her running since I first met her several years ago.  Jen and I planned on starting and finishing together.

The race starts.  After running with Jen for the first seven miles and filling up on even more water at each water station throughout the race, the urge to urinate is growing in me.  Jen tells me to go ahead of her since my pace was picking up, so I start pulling away from her.  I am now on Ocean Parkway, a flat, wide thoroughfare going through the heart of Brooklyn.  As the miles pass and my speed increases, the need to urinate increases.  At Mile 10, it becomes unbearable.  I decide that the only way I can finish the rest of the race comfortably is to get rid of all the urine.  But stopping to pee was out of the question; I wanted to save as much time as possible in this race so I can give myself a chance to break my pr, for even seconds count.  My bladder was in pain holding back the floodwaters, so I decided to urinate in my running shorts.  The only problem was that I couldn’t do it.  I was conditioned since childhood not to pee in my pants.  I had to mentally motivate myself to pee.  Like a pathetic cheerleader awkwardly chanting things like, “Josh, you can do it!”, and “Pee! Pee! Pee!”, I was determined to achieve success in this matter.  After much self-motivation, the floodgates opened up and a giant sense of relief filled my being.  “Hallelujah! Now I can focus on finishing this race!”, I thought to myself.  And thank the Lord that I was wearing black running shorts.  I looked at other runners to see if they noticed my ‘situation’, but they were all in their own little  world focused on getting their race done.

After relieving myself, I was able to focus on increasing my pace, for I was bent on breaking my pr.  The last few miles were my fastest, especially Mile 12.  I crossed the finish line on the Coney Island Boardwalk with a new pr of 1:40:08; over a minute faster than my previous half marathon record.

Boy, this race was a real pisser!

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