Runners cross the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge at the start of the ING New York City marathon. (Photo: Fergal Carr, via Creative Commons)

Time is ticking to apply for the 2013 ING New York City Marathon lottery. Runners have until 11:59 p.m. EST on May 24 to apply for one of the 47,500 spots in the race on Sunday, November 3. Runners who have a guaranteed entry must also claim their spot by May 24.

New York Road Runners, the organization that puts on the event and one that I freelance for as host of On The Run, will choose participants from the lottery on May 29 through a random draw.

Last year, more than 140,000 people applied for approximately 47,000 starting spots on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, most of which were already allocated to runners who gained bibs through one of the ING NYC Marathon’s guaranteed entry programs: running for charity partners, international travel partners, meeting a qualifying standard, completing NYRR’s 9+1 program, being denied by the lottery the previous three consecutive years, or running the race more than 15 times. Just 15,000 runners gained entry through the lottery, up from 9,000 people in 2011.

Just how many bibs will be available through the lottery this year is unknown. The cancellation of the 2012 ING New York City Marathon in the wake of Hurricane Sandy put the race in an unusual situation. NYRR offered runners registered for the 2012 race three options: take a refund, receive guaranteed entry into the 2013 NYC Half in March, or receive a guaranteed entry into the 2013, 2014 or 2015 marathon.

NYRR said approximately half of the runners opted to take a refund from the organization, while the other half opted to take a guaranteed entry into either the NYC Half or the 2013, 2014 or 2015 edition of the ING NYC Marathon. To make room for lottery applicants this year, NYRR has capped the number of time qualifiers at 2,000 runners.

“Given the accommodation of 2012 marathoners in the 2013 field, the drawing is expected to be smaller than in years past,” said NYRR President and CEO Mary Wittenberg in a statement.

Entry through the lottery is done via three simultaneous drawings: one drawing for people who live within 60 miles of New York City, one for U.S. residents outside that 60-mile radius, and one for non-U.S. residents, including Puerto Rico. The same percentage of applicants will be chosen from each of the three pools at random. For more information on how the lottery is conducted, read this.

Lottery applicants must pay a non-refundable $11 processing fee regardless of whether or not they are chosen.

Handcycle entrants are selected through a different process detailed here.

For more information about how to apply or to fill out an application, visit ingnycmarathon.org. Use the same link for claiming your guaranteed entry.

Karla Bruning is host of On The Run, New York Road Runners’ web show about running. She has finished six marathons, two triathlons and trains with the New York Harriers. Follow Karla at RunKarlaRun.com, The Washington Times Communities, Facebook and Twitter@KBruning.

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It’s all about Brooklyn. NYRR On The Run at the Brooklyn Half, hosted by yours truly, looks at the race that has quickly become one of America’s largest half-marathons. More than 21,000 runners finished the 13.1-mile race from the Brooklyn Museum through Grand Army Plaza and Prospect Park to the spectacular water-front finish on the Coney Island boardwalk.

Interviewing Keith Williams (Photo: nyrr_ontherun Instagram)

“On The Run” was on the scene to capture all the excitement of race week and bring you the stories of regular runners like you and me.

We meet Keith Williams, a runner who blogs Brooklyn one neighborhood at a time at TheWeeklyNabe.com. Check out his behind the scenes look at what it’s like to be an “On The Run” subject in his post, Running Brooklyn on your television. Keith took me on a running tour of the Borough of Kings from the Brooklyn Half Pre-Party in Dumbo to Grand Army Plaza near mile 2 of the race.

Interviewing Yasir Salem. (Photo: nyrr_ontherun Instagram)

You’ll also meet Yasir Salem, a runner and triathlete who also happens to be one of the world’s best competitive eaters. Ranked 19th in the world by Major League Eating, Yasir uses running as a way to stay in shape for food competitions and to live a healthier life. He’s already earned a seat at the table of the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest—twice. The Brooklyn Half finishes in front of Nathan’s Famous where Yasir will compete again this summer.

New York City has a thriving club running scene. North Brooklyn Runners exemplifies that team spirit with their passion for Brooklyn and dedication to the community. They take us on a run and show us what it’s like to be a Brooklyn club runner.

Near the start in front of the Brooklyn Museum. (Photo nyrr_ontherun instagram)

And finally, we catch up with some of Coney Island’s most famous businesses that were devastated by Hurricane Sandy. The famous Cyclone roller coaster, Deno’s Wonder Wheel, Nathan’s Famous, and the Brooklyn Beach Shop all sustained significant damage in the storm. Brooklyn Beach Shop lost all of their inventory, Nathan’s shop of Surf Avenue was flooded, and the mechanical systems for the Cyclone and Wonder Wheel took hits. But they’ve been working through the winter to restore Coney Island for the summer season and welcome the 25,000 runners registered for the Brooklyn Half.

So check out the video here or at ontherun.nyrr.org. This episode is all about Brooklyn and all about regular runners like you and me.

And here’s a behind the scenes slideshow from the “On The Run” shoot! Follow “On The Run” on Instagram at nyrr_ontherun.

Karla Bruning is host of On The Run, New York Road Runners’ show about running. She has finished six marathons, two triathlons and trains with the New York Harriers. Follow Karla at RunKarlaRun.com, The Washington Times Communities, Facebook and Twitter@KBruning.

The post VIDEO: ‘On The Run’ at Brooklyn Half Race Report appeared first on Run, Karla, Run!.

At the Brooklyn Half Pre-Party (Photo: NYRR_OnTheRun on Instagram)

We’re back! “On The Run,” New York Road Runners’ web show hosted by yours truly, is back for the Brooklyn Half Marathon. But this time we’re making the leap to the big time. We’re going to be on TV! WABC-7 in New York will air “NYRR On The Run at the Brooklyn Half” on Sunday, May 19 at 1 p.m.

Then the episode will hit the web so anyone, anywhere can catch all the action from the means streets of Brooklyn.

It’s the biggest Brooklyn Half in the race’s 33 year history. More than 25,000 people have registered for the 13.1-mile race that takes runners from Grand Army Plaza and Prospect Park to the boardwalk in Coney Island, making it the second largest half-marathon in the U.S. and top five in the world. The half-hour episode of “On The Run” will bring race highlights, but also a bit of local Brooklyn flavor.

Chatting with a New Balance shoe designer at the Brooklyn Pre-Party. (Photo: NYRR_OnTheRun Instagram)

The race kicked off on Wednesday with a three-day pre-party in Brooklyn’s DUMBO neighborhood, sandwiched between the Manhattan Bridge and the iconic Brooklyn Bridge.

This isn’t your average race expo. Presented by race sponsor New Balance, runners pick up bib and race shirts at the Old Tobacco Warehouse to the beats of a DJ, live bands play on an outdoor stage, food trucks line the walls of the warehouse, and a beer garden serves up Brooklyn brews along with treats from a slew of local eateries. It’s a whole new take on a race expo, and having spent the last two night there I can honestly say this: it’s spectacular. Without contest, it’s the most fun and most creative race expo or pre-party I’ve ever seen.

Tune in!

Come Sunday, “On The Run” will bring you highlights from the pre-party and the race itself.

But we’ll also meet competitive eater Yasir Salem, who’s ranked 19th in the world by Major League Eating. He’s running the half, which finishes near the mecca of the competitive eating world—Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs, home of the Nathan’s Famous July 4th International Hot Dog Eating Contest. It’s the Super Bowl of eating, and Salem already has his qualifying spot in this year’s competition. He shares an inside peek into the life of a competitive eater and runner.

Running Brooklyn with Keith Williams of TheWeeklyNabe.com. (Photo: NYRR_OnTheRun Instagram.)

Blogger Keith Williams takes us on a running tour of Brooklyn from the pre-party in Dumbo to Grand Army Plaza between miles 1 and 2 of the race. He’s a former Jeopardy champion and author of TheWeeklyNabe.com, a blog dedicated to exploring Brooklyn one neighborhood at a time. He also happens to be a fast runner who trains with the Prospect Park Track Club.

We jogged four easy miles—and yes, we really ran the whole thing, even though the segment with be just a few minutes long. It was my first run since the Providence Half Marathon on Sunday and his last run before he tackles the Brooklyn Half this Saturday.

North Brooklyn Runners outside the Brooklyn Half Pre-Party. (Photo: RunKarlaRun.com)

“On The Run” also spends some time with North Brooklyn Runners, a running club in New York that’s unique in its neighborhood-centric take on running and giving back to the local community.

And we’ll spend some time in Coney Island, which was hard hit by Hurricane Sandy. Many of the businesses there are still struggling to get back on their feet, including the iconic Mermaid Parade, a 30-year tradition that’s sadly in danger of extinction.

The “On The Run” crew has been just that: on the run all over Brooklyn the last two days and will be on the streets Friday and Saturday too with those stories and more.

So join us on the run! Tune in Sunday at 1 pm on ABC-7 in New York or check it out online at ontherun.nyrr.org.

You can also follow the On The Run Instagram feed for fun photos from our shoots, like this one with my brand new New Balance kicks. (My hair looks a little crazy because I’d just come from, you guessed it, a run).

(Photo: NYRR_OnTheRun Instagram)

Karla Bruning is host of On The Run, New York Road Runners’ show about running. She has finished six marathons, two triathlons and trains with the New York Harriers. Follow Karla at RunKarlaRun.com, The Washington Times Communities, Facebook and Twitter@KBruning.

The post ‘On The Run at the Brooklyn Half’ is Coming to ABC-TV! appeared first on Run, Karla, Run!.

Phil and me after the race. (Photo: RunKarlaRun.com)

It was a rainy weekend for the Cox Providence Rhode Races in Rhode Island on Sunday, May 12, 2013.

But the rain didn’t stop me and over 3,100 other runners from tackling the UnitedHealthcare Providence Half Marathon and Cox Providence Marathon. A race where “HOPE” is the state motto couldn’t be anything but uplifting.

I certainly looked happy on race day, as this video my husband took attests. He’s newly obsessed with Vine, the 6-second video version of Twitter. I’m saying “Rhode Races” at the end, but it gets cut off a bit.

The Expo

I was surprised by the size and quality of the Health and Fitness Expo for such a small race. Staged at the Omni Hotel Ballroom in Providence, I picked up my bib and got in and out with ease.

Checking out the course at the Expo. (Photo: Phil Hospod)

I have one complaint here, and I don’t want to belabor it because this is an issue I’ve seen at major races everywhere, not just Providence: they were all out of x-small, small, and medium shirts by the time I picked up my bib on Saturday afternoon. I was handed a men’s large. Sigh. Yet another race shirt I will never wear. I asked about women’s cut shirts and they said they only had them for the marathon. Just once I’d love to be told, “Sorry, all we have left are small and extra-small women’s shirts.” A girl can dream.

The Start

Getting to the start was a breeze. Organizers recommended parking at the Rhode Island Convention Center or Providence Place Mall, so that’s what my husband and I did. The start was just a short three-block walk from there.

In the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings, organizers had announced that only clear bags would be allowed at bag check. We were told to bring a disposable bag on race day when we’d be given a clear bag. As we walked to bag check, we saw a “Rhode Island Mass Casualty” mobile command vehicle stationed near the corrals. It was a sad reminder of the reality we now face.

Providence Half Marathon start. (Photo: RunKarlaRun.com)

The race had only one corral—a general start where runners were supposed to self-align according to anticipated pace. It didn’t really work that way and everyone lined up in one big clump. I started behind the 12-min pace sign because the entire corral in front of it was already full of runners. But it honestly wasn’t a big deal. With only 2,000 runners starting in the half-marathon on large city streets I had no problem finding room to run and getting around the people I needed to pass.

But here’s where I come to my one major complaint about this race: it started 20 minutes late. The race was called for 8 a.m. The national anthem singer began at 8:18 and then the announcer said the race would start in two minutes. While we waited in the corral for 20 minutes, just about everyone around me was grumbling, shuffling, and getting anxious.

A runner readies his watch for the start. (Photo: RunKarlaRun.com)

Some Rhode Islanders I know joke that the state runs on “island time.” As a New Yorker I appreciate a more relaxed pace now and then. But runners plan a lot around the start time of a race: their pre-race hydration and fuel routine; rendezvous times and points for family and friends on course and after the race; and post-race brunch plans, just to name a few. Five minutes isn’t so much as to throw it all off, but 20 minutes is. And it didn’t help that it was lightly raining.

But once the race finally got under way, everything else seemed to go smoothly.

The Course

The course surprised me with its beauty and its brawn. What could have been a boring out-and-back run dazzled with waterfront views, old colonial buildings, city parks, and stately homes shaded by blooming trees.

Many, if not most, concurrent half-marathons and marathons share much of the same course. But one of the unique things about this event is that the marathon and half-marathon share a start and a finish, but that’s about it. Near the 2-mile mark, marathoners head south and half-marathoners head north for completely different race experiences.

UnitedHealthcare Providence Half Marathon

Instead of building a standard out-and-back course, race organizer Eident Sports built a course that’s just different enough in either direction to feel fresh on your legs and eyes.

The half-marathon course started in downtown Providence’s City Hall Park and continued along the Providence River beside colonial buildings and modern high-rises before heading down to the waterfront at Providence Harbor.

The course then turned northward through charming residential neighborhoods to Blackstone Boulevard, a 1.7-mile long greenway lined with stately homes and towering trees.

After a short jaunt through Pawtucket, RI to the north, runners returned to Blackstone Boulevard and a detour around lovely Blackstone Park along the Seekonk River before heading back downtown via India Point Park at the mouth of Providence Harbor.

There were seven water stations placed roughly every 1.5 to 2 miles. Water and Gatorade were plentiful and GU gels were available at a few points too. I could have used just one more water station between miles 9 and 11.5. At that crucial point in the race, I found a 2.5-mile stretch without water to be a wee bit long.

But other than that, I thought the course was just about perfect. The race skipped the hilly East Side of Providence neighborhoods in favor of flatter roads nearer the water. Sure, there were a few low-grade climbs, but nothing too terrible to seriously challenge your legs or lungs. There was one short, but steep downhill section near the turn-around point in Pawtucket; I heard some runners near me groan about their quads. But I’ll take a steep downhill to a steep uphill any day.

There wasn’t a ton of crowd support along the course. But the folks that were there were exuberant—like the man playing banjo on his front stoop or the guy cheering in his bathrobe from the front lawn. A few spectators with signs dotted the course along Blackstone Boulevard, and the crowds picked up in the last mile to the downtown finish considerably.

The After Party

Food trucks near the finish. (Photo: RunKarlaRun.com)

I didn’t stick around too long after the race, just long enough to get my medal and great post-race snacks: water, Gatorade, bagels, bananas and pizza. Yes, you read right: pizza. They also had food trucks lining the way back to the convention center, a beer garden and an after party that I didn’t attend. And runners could also grab a Mylar blanket if they were cold. I figured I’d leave those for the marathoners.

My Race

I set out to do the UnitedHealthcare Providence Half Marathon as a training run after a patchy winter season. I was sick, I lost my motivation, I was traveling, and I was not running as much as I would have liked.

Rowers on the Seekonk River during the Providence Half Marathon. (Photo: RunKarlaRun.com)

So in my pre-race post, I wrote this:

“My goal for the race is to go out there, have fun, and run a steady easy pace. I don’t know Providence all too well and the course visits parts of the city and beyond that I’ve never been to, so I’m excited to just take in the town as a tourist runner and have some fun.”

There’s something about removing all expectations that allows you to really enjoy a run. And I had one of my absolute best runs in recent memory.

Phil and I after the race. (Photo: RunKarlaRun.com)

I cooed at barking dogs, high-fived excited kids, waved at smiling babies. I walked through water stations and thanked volunteers. I paused to take a photo of a rowing crew on the Seekonk River. It reminded me of the tranquility of my own college rowing days. I breathed in the fragrance of blossoming trees. I cheered on the winning female marathoner as our courses merged and she sprinted toward the finish. I gave a fist pump when I overheard two spectators say, “She’s crushing it,” when I passed a legion of runners in the final two miles. I even enjoyed the misty rain that lightly sprayed runners for most of the race. It felt refreshing, like someone misting you with a spray bottle.

Quite simply, my run was spectacular. I started slowly. I picked up the pace at the halfway mark, and then again in the last two miles. I ran a negative split to finish 1:08 per mile behind my PR of 2:00:30. It was exactly how I wanted to run.

Best of all, it truly felt easy. And as each mile floated by, I kept thinking, “Wow, this feels great! I can’t believe this feels so easy!” I never think that during training runs.

My finish time was 2:15:44.

Here are my splits. The slightly longer ones correspond to where the water stops were roughly every 1.5 miles.

I’m really happy that all of my last 7 miles were faster than the first 6. I’ve been doing progression runs lately to work on the negative split, and it feels really good to nail it so well. Next time, I hope to nail it in a yet-to-be-determined half-marathon PR attempt this fall.

The UnitedHealthcare Providence Half Marathon Takeaway

If you’re looking for a relatively flat small-city race, the Providence Half Marathon is a great choice. I could easily see this being a personal record course for many runners. The event is well organized, save what I already mentioned, and has one of the best medals I’ve seen for such a small event: an anchor emblazoned with the word “HOPE.”

Providence Half Marathon Medal

The “hope anchor” has been the symbol of Rhode Island since Roger Williams founded the colony on the principles of religious freedom in 1636. Williams was expelled from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for his religious views, and Rhode Island quickly became a mecca for colonial settlers looking for a place where they could worship freely. Williams pioneered the idea of separation of church and state and founded America’s first Baptist church in Providence. Rhode Island is also home to the nation’s first synagogue in Newport.

Scholars believe the “hope anchor” was inspired by Biblical verse Hebrews 6:19—“We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul.” It felt especially providential be given a medal with the word “HOPE” in a town called Providence less than a month after bombers attacked the Boston Marathon, a town whose history is inextricably linked. But I digress. Can you tell I’m a former religion major and religion reporter?

Here’s to a great race and to hope—for runners and spectators everywhere.

Karla Bruning is host of On The Run, New York Road Runners’ show about running. She has finished six marathons, two triathlons and trains with the New York Harriers. Follow Karla at RunKarlaRun.com, The Washington Times Communities, Facebook and Twitter@KBruning.

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The Walt Disney World Marathon finish. (Photo: runDisney)

Tribesports asked me to create a guide to the Walt Disney World Marathon for their social networking site for active minded folks. “Whether you’re a novice or a pro, we think seeing your friends sports activity, and sharing yours will make you want to be more active and do more sports,” their website states. Seems like a good premise to me, since that’s what the blogging community does in a different way.

So I thought I’d share my Walt Disney World Marathon Guide here as well since it highlights the race in a different way than my race report. If you’re thinking of signing up for the Walt Disney World Marathon—registration is still open for the 2014 race—here’s a play by play of what you can expect on the course.

Guide to the Walt Disney World Marathon

Runners fill Magic Kingdom. (Photo: runDisney)

The Walt Disney World Marathon is the crown jewel in the runDisney series of races. Nearly 25,000 runners tackle the 26.2-miles around “the World,” many dressed in costume in homage to their favorite Disney characters. The vibe on-course is as much party as road race with Disney’s signature entertainment lining the way: marching bands, DJ’s, cheerleaders, acrobats, rock bands, and, of course, those famous Disney characters.

When runDisney invited me to be their guest at the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend as author of the blog RunKarlaRun.com, I simply couldn’t resist. I put together a Cinderella in Rags running costume and dragged my husband along as Jacques the Mouse.

Pre-Race

When it comes to organization, it doesn’t get better than runDisney. From the time you register to the time you cross the finish, runDisney will make sure you know where to be, what time to be there, and how to get there. Pre-race e-mails start three months out, and an informative race site paired with detailed pre-race instructions released one month prior have all the info you need.

Fireworks at the start (Photo: runDisney)

Runners pick up bibs at the Disney Health & Fitness Expo at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex from Wednesday through Saturday before the race. With registration, runners receive either a men’s or women’s cut technical shirt and a signature finisher’s medal.

Runners can also participate in other events throughout the weekend like Kids Races, Pasta in the Park Party, character breakfasts, a Race Retreat and Cool Down Party at Downtown Disney, some of which require an additional ticket for entry.

The Start

Set your alarm early. The Walt Disney World Marathon begins at 5:30 a.m. But once you’re in the starting corral, you’ll forget the time and be glad for the cloak of darkness. How else would you see the fireworks at the start? Runners are broken into multiple corrals by anticipated finish time. Every corral has its own start, complete with fireworks, every 5 minutes. For 2014, runDisney is adding more corrals to help ease crowding on the course.

Runners dash through Cinderella Castle (Photo: runDisney)

The Course and Race Highlights

The course has 21 hydration stops with Dasani water and PowerAde, placed roughly every 1.5 miles. In addition, the marathon has four food stops with items like Chiquita bananas, Clif Shots, and candy, as well as medical stations and bathrooms aplenty.

The Walt Disney World Marathon starts just outside Epcot and works its way north to Magic Kingdom between Miles 5 and 6, where runners are treated to a jaunt through Cinderella Castle.

Be sure to pause for a photo in front of Cinderella Castle, still decked out in the Castle Dream Lights for the winter holidays. Also be on the lookout for a cadre of Disney characters stationed throughout the park. You might see Pixar characters in Tomorrowland and Disney princesses in Fantasyland. Prince Mickey and Princess Minnie and other popular characters like Cinderella and Prince Charming have been known to hang out right outside the castle.

Runners charge the Walt Disney World Speedway (Photo: runDisney)

After exiting Magic Kingdom through a backstage entrance, runners head south to the Walt Disney World Speedway between Miles 8 and 9 for a run around the racetrack. In 2013, Disney stationed dozens of vintage cars around the 1-mile track, as well as characters from Pixar’s Cars.

Safari Pluto and Mickey greet runners. (Photo: RunKarlaRun.com)

From there, the course continues to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park between Miles 12 and 13. You’re sure to see some animals—real and imaginary—and plenty more Disney characters like Safari Mickey, Minnie, Daisy and Pluto. In the park you’ll run past Expedition Everest, Discovery Island and Dinoland USA.

After Animal Kingdom, the course tracks along the highway before heading to the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex between Miles 17 and 20. Don’t worry, there will be entertainment roughly every half-mile.

Runners in Champion Stadium. (Photo: runDisney)

Once you reach the Sports Complex, you’ll see athletes playing on the soccer fields and baseball diamonds, as well as a few Disney characters along the way too. The highlights of this section of the course are a run around the track and through Champion Stadium, the Atlanta Braves’ spring training home. Pause for a photo behind home plate and be sure to listen for the stadium announcer shouting your name as you run by.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios on marathon morning. (Photo: runDisney)

Runners then head north into Disney’s Hollywood Studios between Miles 22 and 24. Before you enter the park, keep an eye out for some green Army men from Toy Story who will help motivate you up a small hill. Once inside the park, you’ll be greeted by a few movie characters and treated to music from some of Hollywood’s most iconic soundtracks, along with robust crowds of people lining Hollywood Boulevard.

With Jasmine and Aladdin in Epcot. (Photo: RunKarlaRun.com)

Next, runners charge onto Disney’s BoardWalk after running along the canal that leads from Hollywood Studios. You’ll go past the Yacht & Beach Club Resorts and into the back entrance of the World Showcase at Epcot between Miles 24 and 25.

The final mile of the race takes runners “around the world” at Epcot. You’ll see a string of Disney characters outside of each country. You might spot Belle in France, Mulan in China or Aladdin in Morocco before heading straight for the iconic Spaceship Earth attraction. Spectators line the whole course at this point.

At Mile 26, a gospel choir ushers runners out of the park and into the finish chute, where Mickey Mouse and friends pass out high-fives to the 20,000 runners who cross the finish line.

Goofy high-fives finishers (Photo: runDisney)

From the organization to the entertainment, Disney gets just about everything right. The Walt Disney World Marathon is a fun run that will make you feel like a kid again.

For more information, visit rundisney.com. For more photos and an in depth look at runDisney races, visit my runDisney page. To view the original guide, visit Tribesports.

Karla Bruning is host of On The Run, New York Road Runners’ show about running. She has finished six marathons, two triathlons and trains with the New York Harriers. Follow Karla at RunKarlaRun.com, The Washington Times Communities, Facebook and Twitter@KBruning.

Disclosure: As part of the running media, runDisney provided me with complimentary race entry, hotel, park tickets, airfare and some meals for the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend. But as always, all opinions are purely my own. I really do believe in being honest about my experiences and Disney is no exception. For more information read my Disclosure Policy.

The post Guide to the Walt Disney World Marathon at Tribesports appeared first on Run, Karla, Run!.

Cox Rhode Races Guide

I opened my inbox yesterday to find my 2013 Cox Providence Rhode Races
Athlete Guide with official pre-race instructions for the UnitedHealthcare Providence Half Marathon on Sunday, May 12.

I have to say, I’m really excited for this race. It’s only the second race I’ve done in Rhode Island, a place I’ve fallen in love with in the last few years. And there are so many great running puns to be had with Rhode Island, as the “Rhode Races” series attests to.

I’m doing the Providence Half Marathon as a training run. No racing this one for me. My training has been patchy the last few weeks for various reasons—travel, work, all the usual suspects. I’ve been doing more cross training than running in the last month—snowshoeing, aqua jogging, swimming, biking. I have been running too, but not enough to have delusions of running a personal best.

So my goal for the race is to go out there, have fun, and run a steady easy pace. I don’t know Providence all too well and the course visits parts of the city and beyond that I’ve never been to, so I’m excited to just take in the town as a tourist runner and have some fun.

I certainly won’t be alone. Over 2,000 runners will be storming the Providence Half Marathon with me, including my husband. And another 1,500 runners will be tackling the Cox Providence Marathon, including 200 runners who were diverted from the finish of the 2013 Boston Marathon and received complimentary entries into the race.

It won’t be the smallest half-marathon I’ve ever done. That distinction belongs to the Yonkers Marathon and Half Marathon with just 1,000 runners combined. But it will be the next smallest. It’s appropriate for the country’s smallest state, nicknamed “Little Rhody.”

In looking at the entry lists, it looks like most runners are coming from Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut with plenty of other New Englanders too from Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. But there are also a handful of runners from further afield like Texas, California, Colorado, Illinois, Arizona, Oregon and even Canada.

So farewell New York, and hello Rhode Island! I’ll see you on the Rhode! (Sorry, I just couldn’t help myself.)

Karla Bruning is host of On The Run, New York Road Runners’ show about running. She has finished six marathons, two triathlons and trains with the New York Harriers. Follow Karla at RunKarlaRun.com, The Washington Times Communities, Facebook and Twitter@KBruning.

The post Rhode Race: Providence Half Marathon Is Here appeared first on Run, Karla, Run!.

Disneyland medals. (Photo: Matt Stroshane/runDisney)

Today runDisney unveiled the Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend collection of medals.

More than 25,000 runners are registered to run at the Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend over Labor Day, touring Disneyland, Disney California Adventure and the streets of Anaheim, Calif., on foot.

Seeing the finisher medals for the Disneyland Half Marathon, Disneyland Family Fun Run 5K and the new Disneyland 10K and Dumbo Double Dare makes me wish I was running them all. Guess I’ll just have to add the Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend to my bucket list. Without further ado, here are the medals in all their Disney glory!

Disneyland Half Marathon Medal. (Photo: Matt Stroshane/runDisney)

Disneyland 5K medal. (Photo: Matt Stroshane/runDisney)

Dumbo Double Dare medal. (Photo: Matt Stroshane/runDisney)

The Disneyland 10K medal. (Photo: Matt Stroshane/runDisney)

Karla Bruning is host of On The Run, New York Road Runners’ web show about running. She has finished six marathons, two triathlons and trains with the New York Harriers. Follow Karla at RunKarlaRun.com, The Washington Times Communities, Facebook and Twitter@KBruning.

Disclosure: runDisney sometimes provides me with complimentary race entry, hotel, park tickets, and some meals for runDisney events. But, as always, all opinions are purely my own. For more information read my Disclosure Policy.

The post Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend Medals Released appeared first on Run, Karla, Run!.

The Walt Disney World Marathon (Photo: Marathon Foto)

Last week marked the sixth anniversary of my very first race back in 2007. Last fall, I chronicled how I went from a person who loathed running to someone who loves it. How much do I love it? Over these last six years, I’ve run 53 races with number 54, the UnitedHealthcare Providence Half Marathon, in one week and numbers 55, 56 and 57 already on the books.

Looking back at six years of racing, it occurred to me that certain races have a special place in my heart. Every runner has that race they look forward to every year, the race they’ve always dreamed of running, the race that moved them in unexpected ways. These are mine.

So without further ado, here are my “Races to Remember,” the running races that left the biggest impressions on me, culled from my six years out there on the road.

Races To Remember

Most Memorable: ING New York City Marathon

At the 2007 ING New York City Marathon (Photo: Christy Hourihan)

It’s the largest marathon in world, and it was also my first. There’s nothing quite like your first marathon. I nearly cried as I crossed the finish, accomplishing something that had been beyond conception for me. I remember thinking of marathons as something other people did—crazy people. Now I was one of them. I had such an amazing time the first go round, I ran it a second year in a row. I trained hard and beat my first time by nearly an hour. Yes, you read right—an hour. They are both races I will never forget.

Most Sentimental: Bank of America Chicago Marathon

Before the 2009 Chicago Marathon. (Photo: RunKarlaRun.com)

Running Chicago was a homecoming for me. I was born and raised in the city’s west suburbs and spent much of my childhood in the city with my parents. My dad worked downtown at the Merchandise Mart, which sits right around Mile 12 on the course. That year, the race coincided with the 6^th anniversary of my father’s death, so I dedicated the race to him. I got verklempt as I ran past the Mart, and many of the other places I associate with my father. It was, quite literally, a run down memory lane.

Most Fun: Any runDisney Half Marathon or Walt Disney World Marathon

At Disney’s Princess Half Marathon (Photo: brightroom)

Anyone who has ever read my blog knows I love me some runDisney. Disney races are among the best organized I have ever run and, second-to-none, the most fun. Runners wear costumes! Disney characters cheer for you! You run through Disney Parks! I honestly can’t decide which of the four I’ve run is the most fun: Disney’s Princess Half Marathon, Tinker Bell Half Marathon, Walt Disney World Marathon or Wine & Dine Half Marathon. They each have unique characteristics. So read my race reports and decide for yourself!

Most Romantic: Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon

Our engagement pic after Disney’s Wine & Dine Half Marathon (Photo: RunKarlaRun.com)

For me, the Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon race is the Lady and the Tramp of running races. The music, the moonlight, the mood.  The wining, the dining, the food. And best of all, this is where my husband and I got engaged. He popped the question at the race after-party, forever making Disney’s Wine & Dine Half a magical race for me.

Best Start: ING New York City Marathon

Before the 2008 ING New York City Marathon (Photo: RunKarlaRun.com)

I know, I know. I already gave the ING New York City Marathon an award. But that’s how amazing this race is. And it boasts the best start of the 50+ events I’ve run. As you climb the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge from Staten Island, Frank Sinatra sings, “New York, New York” over the loud speakers. Take a look to your left and the entire city is at your feet. Manhattan, your final destination, glimmers in the distance, a NYFD boat spays a water salute and Brooklyn lays dead ahead. I’ve run the NYC Marathon three times, and it’s taken my breath away every single time. Plus, in 2010 I got to sing before the start of the Professional Women’s and Wheelchair races. If that’s not the best start I’ve ever had, I don’t know what is.

Best Finish: Montreal Half Marathon

The 1976 Olympic Stadium was the finish for the OASIS Montreal Half-Marathon. (Photo: Peregrine981/Wikimedia Commons)

Running around the track of an Olympic Stadium is usually reserved for Olympians. But at the Montreal Half Marathon, runners get the royal treatment with a finish in the 1976 Olympic Stadium, where Frank Shorter won marathon silver. Running down the ramp and into a stadium filled with a cheering crowd is probably the closest I’ll ever come to feeling like an Olympian. Priceless.

Proudest PR: Staten Island Half Marathon and Philadelphia Marathon

Pausing for a photo just before the finish of the 2012 Philadelphia Marathon (Photo: RunKarlaRun.com)

I’m tempted to pick my second marathon, when I shaved nearly an hour from my one and only marathon time. While that PR was incredibly satisfying, there are two I think I worked even harder for. Every single year since I started running, I made the goal of breaking 2:00 in the half-marathon. And for three years in a row, I made the goal of breaking 4:30 in the marathon. At the Staten Island Half Marathon in 2012, I ran 2:00:30, missing my mark by 30 seconds, but still PR’d by nearly 5 minutes. But at the 2012 Philadelphia Marathon, I redeemed myself by running 4:28:06, which was a 17-minute PR. After three years of trying, breaking that 4:30 barrier felt so good. Sub-2 half, I’m coming for you this year!

Most Grueling: Yonkers Half Marathon

Enjoying the Yonkers waterfront. (Photo: RunKarlaRun.com)

Yonkers has a storied history as the second oldest marathon in the U.S., dating back to 1907. But it also ranks in the hill department, treating racers to a roller coaster run around the New York town just north of NYC. The course starts near sea level and finishes near sea level. But in between it climbs a total of 1,100 ft. And what goes up must come down. It’s not one long slog; you climb and descend on the Yonkers Half Marathon course over and over and over again. If you haven’t trained on hills, the course is a killer. I used it as a training run for the Staten Island Half Marathon and Philadelphia Half Marathon. It worked. I PR’d weeks later on those much flatter courses.

Fastest Race: Fifth Avenue Mile

America’s fastest milers at the Fifth Avenue Mile. (Photo: Phil Hospod)

Fifth Avenue Mile, How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. A run down one of America’s most storied streets? Check. A rare one-mile race for grown-ups? Check. A stellar professional field to watch at the end of the day after your heat is over? Check. Where else do you get to watch the likes of Bernard Lagat, Matt Centrowitz, Leo Manzano, Jenny Simpson and other Olympic and World Championship medalists after running your own race? Only the Fifth Avenue Mile. I’ve been to this race five years in a row. I ran it in 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011 when I set my mile PR of 6:46. It’s the fastest I’ve ever run in my life. I was registered to run in 2012, but ended up covering it as a reporter instead, so that 2011 PR still stands. Maybe someday I’ll go sub-6:45…

Most Empowering: NYRR NY Mini 10K

With running legends Kathrine Switzer and Anne Audain at the NYRR New York Mini 10K. (Photo: Phil Hospod)

Started in 1972 to give women the chance to race the roads, the NY Mini 10K was among the first women’s road races in the world. It was a time when women were still fighting for the right to run, among many other things. The original Mini, named after the mini-skirt, was staged at a time when women were just starting to break gender barriers in running and sports at large. In April 1972, the Boston Marathon welcomed female entrants officially for the first time; in June, the ground-breaking Title IX legislation mandating equal federal funding for women’s sports became law; in September, the Olympics featured the women’s 1500 meters as the longest race for women for the first time; and in October, six women entered the New York City Marathon. The Mini stands as a testament to how far we’ve come as female athletes. And toeing the line with a few thousand other women on Central Park West feels mighty empowering.

Most Family-Friendly: Disney’s Royal Family 5K and any runDisney 5K

With my sister and some famous ladies at the Royal Family 5K. (Photo: RunKarlaRun.com)

The 5K Fun Runs at runDisney race weekends are designed to be family-friendly. Kids run with their parents or cheer them on. There’s even a stroller division for parents who want to push their little one as they go. I ran the Never Land Family Fun Run 5K at the Tinker Bell Half Marathon Weekend with my husband and the Royal Family Family 5K Fun Run at Disney’s Princess Half Marathon with my sister. It was a blast from the past for two ladies who came to Disney every year as kids. We had a blast stopping for photos along the way. Afterward? We headed on over to the Disney Kids Races where her kids were ready to run. It doesn’t get more family friendly than that.

Most Crowded: Cherry Blossom 10-Miler

The finish of the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10-Mile Run. (Photo: RunKarlaRun.com)

The 2012 race was so crowded the entire 10-miles, I was never able to get up to speed. It was like being stuck in traffic. And I live in NYC. I know traffic. I’d planned on racing it, and ended up being content with calling it a fun run. Even in the last mile, I was still weaving around people. I hope the organizers have figured out a way to spread runners in the middle of the pack out better, because the Washington, D.C. course and the cherry blossoms are dynamite.

Most Intimidating: Peterborough Sprint Triathlon

Ready to race my first triathlon. (Photo: RunKarlaRun.com)

The Peterborough Sprint Triathlon in Ontario gets this award not because of the race itself, but because it was my first triathlon. I didn’t know what to expect. I hated cycling. And I was sure everyone, and I mean everyone, would finish ahead of me. It was more intimidating that my first running race because it was so much more involved. Swimming! Cycling! Transitions! Oh my! But I made it through and learned to love the tri.

Best Team Spirit: NYRR Team Championships

Some of the New York Harrier men (inlcuding my fist-pumping husband) at the 2011 NYRR Team Championships ready to cheer on the Harrier women, including me. (Photo: Anne Hospod)

One of the best parts about running with a team in NYC is the NYRR Team Championships. One day a year, we get our own race in Central Park just for club runners. Teams compete for a trophy and it feels like being a high school or college athlete again. Everyone is in their team singlet. Men and women race separately and cheer each other on until they’re hoarse. Then our team has a picnic in Central Park afterward. Seeing all the club runners racing, cheering and celebrating puts a smile on my face.

Best Name: NYCRUNS Lousy T-Shirt Race

The Lousy T-Shirt Race T-Shirt. (Photo: Juan Monroy/juanomatic via Flickr/Creative Commons)

I ran a 5K and all I got was this lousy T-shirt? You bet. It was NYCRUNS very first first race back in June 2011, and it’s still one of my faves. Small, short and sweet in New York City’s Riverside Park, the Lousy T-Shirt Race has a tongue-in-cheek name that could apply to thousands of races across the U.S. It also happens to be the site of my last 5K PR, since it’s the last 5K I actually raced.

Most Cathartic: Long Island Gold Coast Triathlon

Ready to bike with my K-Swiss SU2C Kwicky Blade-Light shoes emblazoned with Laura’s name. (Photo: Tania Haas)

I set out to run the Long Island Gold Coast Triathlon in Port Washington, NY as a fundraiser for my cousin Laura who was battling a rare form of cancer. But Laura died two weeks before race day. Wearing my Stand Up To Cancer K-Swiss shoes emblazoned with her name, I took out all my sadness, anger and frustration out on the course. The result? I crushed my triathlon PR by 15 minutes despite less than stellar training. It wasn’t about the PR. The PR showed me what motivation, true motivation, can do. I was doing this for Laura and I wasn’t about to let her down.

Most Moving: Brandon Motta 5K

Brandon Motta in 2008 at the 1st Brandon Motta 5K. (Photo: HelpBrandon.com)

Charity races abound and I’ve run plenty. But the Brandon Motta 5K in Rhode Island was different. It was a small community event that had one simple goal—raise $100,000 over the course of many years so that one little boy named Brandon can live in a handicap accessible house with his family. Brandon is a 10-year-old boy from Riverside, RI, who lives with CMT, a neuromuscular disorder that has left him in a wheelchair and reliant on medical devices to breathe. But he has the best smile and the greatest spirit. Brandon comes out to the race every year to cheer on the runners who are there to help him. In the first year, the event raised $15,000, enough to help Brandon’s family buy a handicap accessible van. 2013 will be the event’s 6^th year. It has raised $45,000 to date.

For a complete list of the races I have run, check out my Races & PRs page.

Karla Bruning is host of On The Run, New York Road Runners’ web show about running. She has finished six marathons, two triathlons and trains with the New York Harriers. Follow Karla at RunKarlaRun.com, The Washington Times Communities, Facebook and Twitter@KBruning.

Disclosure: runDisney sometimes provides me with complimentary race entry, hotel, park tickets, and some meals for runDisney events. I also received a complimentary entry to the Yonkers Half Marathon as the national anthem singer. And I freelance for New York Road Runners, who puts on the ING New York City Marathon, NY Mini 10K, Fifth Avenue Mile, Staten Island Half Marathon and Team Championships. I have no affiliation with any of the other races mentioned. As always, all opinions are purely my own and my affiliation with any race has no bearing on whether or not I write about it. I write about the races I like. Period. For more information read my Disclosure Policy.

The post Running Races To Remember 6 Years And Counting appeared first on Run, Karla, Run!.

Disney’s Princess Half Marathon is getting a new 10K and a Glass Slipper Challenge. (Photo: runDisney)

Big news from runDisney! Disney’s Princess Half Marathon Weekend from February 20-23, 2014 at Walt Disney World in Florida is getting the royal treatment with a new Disney Princess Enchanted 10K and a new two-race challenge in the Disney Glass Slipper Challenge. Based on the name alone, I like it already.

The Glass Slipper Challenge follows in the footsteps of the Dumbo Double Dare at Disneyland: runners complete both the new Disney Princess Enchanted 10K on Saturday and the half marathon on Sunday for a total of 19.3 miles. Best of all for Disney bling lovers, runners earn the inaugural Disney Glass Slipper Challenge Medal in addition to the medals from each event, including a new yet-to-be-announced medal for the 10K.

The pink Coast-to-Coast Race Challenge Medal. (Photo: runDisney)

Judging by the wild popularity of the new Disneyland 10K and Dumbo Double Dare at the 2013 Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend and the Walt Disney World 10K and Dopey Challenge at the 2014 Walt Disney World Marathon, I’m sure the new Princess 10K and Glass Slipper Challenge will sell-out in a matter of days, if not hours.

But that’s not all. The 2014 Coast-to-Coast Race Challenge is getting a special women’s-focused medal. Blue is so last year—runDisney is thinking pink. Runners who complete both the Princess Half Marathon and Tinker Bell Half Marathon in 2014 will earn the special edition women-focused Coast-to-Coast medal, featuring Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse with a pink overlay and lanyard, instead of the standard blue.

The Coast-to-Coast Race Challenge is an ongoing runDisney event that rewards runners for completing a half-marathon or marathon at both Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California in the same calendar year.

My husband and I earned our wings at the inaugural Tinker Bell Half Marathon in 2012:

Karla and Phil with their Tinker Bell Half Marathon Medals. (Photo: brightroom)

Then we earned out tiaras and our Coast-to-Coast at Disney’s 2012 Princess Half Marathon:

Phil and Karla with their Princess Half and Coast-to-Coast medals. (Photo: briteroom)

But we got the standard blue Coast-to-Coast medal. No doubt, runners will want to add the pink one to their collections.

Registration for Disney’s Princess Half Marathon Weekend opens June 11. A limited number of runners will be able to register for both the Princess and Tinker Bell Half Marathon then. Official registration for Tinker Bell opens July 9. For more information or to register, visit runDisney.com

Karla Bruning is host of On The Run, New York Road Runners’ web show about running. She has finished six marathons, two triathlons and trains with the New York Harriers. Follow Karla at RunKarlaRun.com, The Washington Times Communities, Facebook and Twitter@KBruning.

As part of the running media, runDisney sometimes provides me with complimentary race entry, hotel, park tickets, and some meals for runDisney events. But as always, all opinions are purely my own. I really do believe in being honest about my experiences and Disney is no exception. For more information read my Disclosure Policy.

The post Disney’s Princess Half Marathon Gets 10K, Glass Slipper Challenge, Pink Coast-to-Coast Medal appeared first on Run, Karla, Run!.

Desiree Davila (in black) poses with runners at the 2013 Walt Disney World Marathon Meet-Up. (Photo: runDisney)

Olympian and 2011 Boston Marathon runner-up Desiree Davila is no stranger to running Disney. I had a chance to catch up with the American running star at the 2013 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend in January. We chatted about her recovery from injury, goals for the future and, of course, running at Walt Disney World.

“This is the only place in the world where people go, ‘I’m just doing the marathon,’” Davila said with a laugh.

Indeed, runDisney unveiled for the 2014 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend the Dopey Challenge, an event that dares runners to complete four races on four consecutive days for a total of 48.6 miles: the Family Fun Run 5K on Thursday, a new Walt Disney World 10K on Friday, the Walt Disney World Half Marathon on Saturday, and the Walt Disney World Marathon on Sunday. The Dopey Challenge is already sold-out for 2014. But runners can still register for the Walt Disney World Marathon, Walt Disney World Half Marathon, and Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge, where runners complete both the marathon and half marathon.

Davila, 29, didn’t run this year’s Walt Disney World Marathon. She’d been in long-term recovery from a femoral stress fracture, the same injury that forced her to drop out of the 2012 Olympic Marathon in London before the 5K mark.

After taking 12 weeks of from running, Davila slowly built up mileage and time on her feet.

“I took an extended amount of time off, let that all heal up, and I’m heading in the right direction now, making sure I’m 100 percent and slowly building mileage,” Davila said. “When you come back from a stress fracture, it’s like 10 minutes the first day, add 5 minutes every other day. Officially, I’m uninjured, but just building back up.”

Davila only started running scheduled workouts early this month in Rochester Hills, Michigan, where she trains.

But she was on hand to greet fans at the Walt Disney World Marathon Meet-Up and to cheer on teammates from the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project, a partnership between Brooks Running and famed coaches and brothers Keith and Kevin Hanson.

Hansons-Brooks athletes nearly swept the Walt Disney World Half Marathon, nabbing the top two spots in both the men’s and women’s competitions. Champions Mike Morgan and Melissa White set new course records for the event in 1:05:26 and 1:14:56, respectively. Teammates Brendan Martin and Ariana Hilborn finished second in 1:06:38 and 1:17:48, respectively.

Davila joined fans for a 3-mile easy run around Disney’s Hollywood Studios at the Walt Disney World Marathon Meet-Up, an exclusive event for 100 runDisney fans selected via a first-come, first-served e-mail application. After the run, Davila joined a panel discussion featuring running luminaries Joan Benoit Samuelson, Bill Rodgers, Bart Yasso, Jeff Galloway, Dick Beardsley and celebrities Drew Carey and Joey Fatone.

I got some one-on-one time with Davila to chat about what’s next for her and more.

Q: Do you have any thoughts about what races you might be targeting in the future?

A: No. Right now the biggest thing is just to get healthy 100 percent and to get fit. And then once I get to that point where I go, “Man, I really want to race,” then Kevin and Keith and I will sit down and say, “All right, what do we want to look at? What will we build towards?”

Q: How did you feel about your Olympic performance? How has recovering from that setback and injury affected you?

A: It was good to go out there and get the experience. I obviously hope to be back in 2016. And to have that experience under my belt and know what it’s all about, I think, will be very important. It was bittersweet, but it definitely left me hungry thinking about Rio, and I’m pretty motivated for that now.

Q: So the Rio Olympics in 2016 is your big long-term goal?

A: Absolutely. I’ll definitely be running for a couple more years at least, and shooting for that race. Hopefully, I’ll be out there next time and doing a better job of being able to represent the country.

Q: I’m sure you have a long career ahead of you. So many marathoners are running later and later into their 30s. Is that something you’re aspiring to?

A: Absolutely. There are so many inspiring people who have gone on to run really well in their mid to late 30s, even. So you kind of start looking at those people and go, “Well, 29 is not that old just yet.” We have a bunch of young studs on our team right now, so you head out the door and you’re like, “Aw man, I’m so old compared to these guys.” But there’s plenty of people that are running well into their mid 30s. So they’re an inspiration for me.

Q: You were on a panel today with some legends of American running. If there was any one runner in all of history you could go on an easy jog with, who would it be?

A: That’s tough. I think Joan Benoit has some great stories. Greg Meyer has some great stories. I’d love to go for a nice easy run with Greg Meyer.

Q: Who were the runners that you looked up to when you were coming up as a kid and as a collegiate?

A: I think the American women that made the sport huge here for us — to even get us out the door and have that option to go race — Joan Benoit, Kim Jones, Deena Kastor are obviously people that I’ve looked up to.

Q: For the first time in 20 years, more women than men are running the Walt Disney World Marathon. There’s been a huge shift in the sport. You said that you looked up to runners like Joan Benoit Samuelson and Deena Kastor. But now you’re one of the runners that little girls are looking up to. How does that make you feel?

A: I guess I don’t ever really feel that way.  Because I see those people and they’re still like the heroes to me. I think they always will be for the sport. But if my running inspires someone or a younger girl to go out and run, that’s the best thing I could ask for. It’s kind of a selfish sport, where you’re just doing what you need to do. So it’s kind of nice to know that’s always there, and, in a way, you are doing something good.

Q: OK, fun questions. What’s your favorite splurge when you want to treat yourself?

A: I love a good apple fritter. We have this place in downtown Rochester that has an apple fritter that’s literally the size of my face. Every now and then you just got to go for it.

Q: And who’s your favorite Disney character?

A: I’m going to go with Mickey Mouse. He’s just a classic. I like the roots there.

Q: Any chance you might run a Disney race?

A: I’ve done the half here before, several years back. [Davila finished third in the women’s competition at 2007 Walt Disney World Half Marathon in a time of 1:18:53.] It’s a great event, a great weekend. I would definitely do it again. I think I could see it in the future.

For more information or to register for any of the 2014 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend events, visit runDisney.com.

Karla Bruning is host of On The Run, New York Road Runners’ web show about running. She has finished six marathons, two triathlons and trains with the New York Harriers. Follow Karla at RunKarlaRun.com, The Washington Times Communities, Facebook and Twitter@KBruning.

Disclosure: As part of the running media, runDisney provided me with complimentary race entry, hotel, park tickets, airfare and some meals for the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend. But as always, all opinions are purely my own. I really do believe in being honest about my experiences and Disney is no exception. For more information read my Disclosure Policy.

The post Olympian Desiree Davila Talks runDisney, Goals & More appeared first on Run, Karla, Run!.

Many runners wore Boston sports gear at the Run For the Parks race in Central Park. (Photo: RunKarlaRun.com)

Over 6,000 runners took to the roads of New York City’s Central Park on Sunday to run for Boston at the City Parks Foundation Run for the Parks 4-Miler.

The annual event was New York Road Runners’ first race after the bombings at the Boston Marathon on April 15, so the organization, which puts on the ING New York City Marathon, transformed the event into a run for Boston.

Thousands of the runners donned blue “I Run For Boston” shirts, which NYRR provided to participants who gave a $20 donation to The One Fund Boston for families most affected by the attack.

Others wore black ribbons, “I Run For Boston” bibs, Boston Marathon shirts and jackets, and an assortment of Boston fan gear including Red Sox baseball caps, Celtics jerseys and Bruins shirts.

My husband and I were among them, dressed in our “I Run For Boston” shirts, “I Run For Boston” bibs and black ribbons.

Phil and Karla run for Boston. (Photo: RunKarlaRun.com)

The NYPD removed all trash cans in Central Park around the race festival area and the course. (Photo: RunKarlaRun.com)

Security at the race was a sad reminder of the prior week’s events. All the trash cans around the course and race area had been removed. Instead, volunteers held clear plastic trash bags.

As runners waited in the starting corrals for the start of the race, NYRR President and CEO Mary Wittenberg asked participants to observe a moment of silence for the victims of the attack. It was the quietest I have ever heard a starting corral, save the sniffles I noticed coming from the runners around me.

Nation anthem singer Jojo Karlin, who grew up in Hopkinton, Mass., where the Boston Marathon starts, gave an emotional performance. As her voice cracked under the weight of tears, the crowd of runners applauded loudly to show their support. It was as if 12,000 hands were saying, “We’re with you.” When Karlin landed on the final “home of the brave,” I looked around me and saw runners choking back tears, wiping their eyes, and sniffling loudly. I was too. The emotion in Karlin’s voice sang all the heartache we felt the entire last week—gut-wrenching sorrow paired with the resolve of spirit to carry on.

I was so glad to be in those corrals, to be amongst the crowd. All week long, runners felt like they had to do something. We gave blood, we donated money, we shared words of encouragement, and, of course, we ran.

Many of the 6,227 finishers at the race wore blue NYRR “I Run For Boston” shirts and bibs. (Photo: RunKarlaRun.com)

As the race began, the song “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond played over the speakers, floating over the air in Central Park. Instantly, the crowd’s tears turned to smiles. As the unofficial theme song of the Boston Red Sox, the song has been played in a show of support at sports events all over the world since the Boston Marathon attack. Many runners sang along as they crossed the start.

It was 37 degrees and sunny, with blossoming trees by our sides as we ran a 4-mile loop around Central Park.

Central Park was at its best for the occasion. (Photo: RunKarlaRun.com)

I ran hard. I breathed hard. And anytime I felt like slowing, I thought of Boston. I wanted to run hard for everyone who was affected. Not because I thought it would help them, but as an offering. It’s a hold-over from my Catholic upbringing—the notion of offering up your own suffering to relieve someone else’s. So I pushed myself hard. By the finish, my breathing was anaerobic.

It felt cathartic. After a week of watching the news, seeing the harrowing images, hearing friends’ stories, following the manhunt around the clock with the city of Boston and surrounding areas in a lock down, it felt freeing to run with the cold spring wind stinging my cheeks. It felt redemptive. It felt like a ritual cleansing.

Shortly after the finish, I saw Mary Wittenberg greeting runners as they came in, thanking them for being there. I know Mary in my capacity as host of NYRR’s web show, “On The Run.” She snapped this picture of me.

(Photo: Mary Wittenberg via Twitter)

The smile you see is one of pure joy. I was so glad to be there at that moment, with all those other runners, to show ourselves and the world that the best in people will outlast the worst.

Yesterday’s race was an already scheduled fundraiser for the City Parks Foundation, a charity that provides free programs for more than 600,000 people in 800 New York City parks every year. They are donating $1 of every entry fee to The One Fund Boston—that’s one charity making a donation to another from their own fundraiser. That’s in addition to the $20 NYRR collected for the fund for every one of those blue “I Run For Boston” shirts.

NYRR’s “I Run For Boston” shirts and bibs. (Photo: RunKarlaRun.com)

I have one more run for Boston planned today, as part of NYCRUNS virtual 5K to raise money for The One Fund Boston. I hope the fund is able to achieve what its organizers hope: to help the families most affected by the attack. They have a long recovery in front of them. Many victims will be in the hospital for months, many won’t be able to work, will have to relearn how to walk on prosthetic limbs, and much else.

With one Boston Marathon bombing suspect dead and the other in custody, most of us are getting back to our lives after a week of horror. We’re going to work, resuming our regular training, resuming life as usual.

But for more than 170 people and their families, life has been forever changed. For many, running will mean a long, slow process of recovery and rehabilitation. Others, will never run again.

I want to keep them close to my heart this year as Boston recedes into the past. I want to remember how free I felt yesterday, knowing that I can run. I always want to be thankful for that.

You can join NYCRUNS’ virtual race for Boston here. Or find a run today in a city near you with #BostonStrong here.

Karla Bruning is host of On The Run, New York Road Runners’ web show about running. She has finished six marathons, two triathlons and trains with the New York Harriers. Follow Karla at RunKarlaRun.com, The Washington Times Communities, Facebook and Twitter@KBruning.

The post An Emotional Run For Boston At Run For The Parks appeared first on Run, Karla, Run!.

The outpouring of support for everyone affected by the Boston Marathon attack has been overwhelming. I wrote about a virtual 5K that anyone in the world can take part in to run for Boston. Here’s one more way you can show your support.

Brian Kelley of PavementRunner.com has launched #BostonStrong, a grassroots global campaign that encourages runners to put together “A Run for Boston in Your City.”

#BostonStrong is:

A run for us to unite and show our strength.
A run for those that were unable to finish.
A run for those that may never run again.
A run for us to try and make sense of the tragedy that has forever changed something we love.

So far runners in 88 cities worldwide are joining the #BostonStrong run for Boston from Paris to Seattle. Runs will take place on Monday, April 22^nd at 6 p.m., and will be between 3-4 miles.

For more information, to find out where you can run, or list a #BostonStrong in your city, visit pavementrunner.com.

Karla Bruning is host of On The Run, New York Road Runners’ web show about running. She has finished six marathons, two triathlons and trains with the New York Harriers. Follow Karla at RunKarlaRun.com, The Washington Times Communities, Facebook and Twitter@KBruning.

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Runners have taken to the streets and to the internet to show their support for everyone affected by the Boston Marathon bombings.

So I wanted to share two ways to run for Boston that I’ll be taking part in—one live event in New York City and one virtual event that anyone, anywhere can join. Both runs will benefit The One Fund Boston, a coalition of corporations and individuals that aims to help the families most affected by the attack.

Run For Boston Anywhere In The World

On Monday, April 22, I’m joining NYCRUNS for Runners For Relief: A Virtual 5K Supporting Boston Marathon Bombing Victims. NYCRUNS, like New York Road Runners, is an organization I’ve worked with in the past that aims to bring more running events to the New York Metro Area. But anyone, anywhere in the world can take part in this run.

Here’s how it works:

• Go wherever you want between now and 2:50 p.m. next Monday, a week to the minute after the two bombs went off.
• Run or walk your 5K and record your time.
• At 3 p.m. Monday, NYCRUNS will send all participants instructions on how to report their times.
• You must submit your time by the end of the day Tuesday.
• All participants will be entered into a random draw to win a free entry into every remaining NYCRUNS race this year. That’s a huge prize for anyone in the New York metro area and includes an awesome series of 5Ks all summer long and the Brooklyn Marathon in November, among other races. And if you don’t live in the New York metro area, an entry into the Brooklyn Marathon could be a great reason to make the trip.
• On Wednesday, NYCRUNS will announce the winners.

Entry into the virtual 5K is $25 and all proceeds will be donated to The One Fund Boston. For more information or to register, visit NYCRUNS.com.

Run For Boston In New York

On Sunday, April 21, I’m joining New York Road Runners at the City Parks Foundation Run for the Parks 4-Miler in Central Park. It’s one of NYRR’s annual races that serves as a local qualifier for the ING New York City Marathon. But as NYRR’s first race after the attack, they are transforming it into an event to support Boston.

To honor those affected, NYRR is doing the following:

• Observing a moment of silence at the start of the race
• Providing “I Run for Boston” back bibs at number pickup
• Providing 5,000 black ribbons to wear on race day to show solidarity with Boston
• Collecting donations for The One Fund Boston. For a $20 donation, runners will receive an “I Run for Boston” T-shirt.

In addition, the City Parks Foundation is donating $1 of every entry fee to The One Fund Boston—that’s one charity making a donation to another from their own fundraiser. Pretty great stuff.

I’ve run this fundraiser for the City Parks Foundation three times before. It’s one of my favorite races in NYC because Central Park is at its most beautiful in April—with fragrant blossoming trees and blooming flowers—and because the City Parks Foundation uses the proceeds to bring free sports and fitness programs to parks all over New York City. They provide free equipment and lessons for tennis, golf and track & field.

The foundation also sponsors free art and education programs like SummerStage, a wildly popular free concert series that bring artists like Joan Baez, She & Him, Foster The People, the cast of The Daily Show and a wide array of dancers, musicians and comedians to city parks. As a runner and a musician who has both run and performed in NYC’s parks, the City Parks Foundation is close to my heart.

But now the race will take on an even deeper meaning as we run for Boston on Sunday.

The 4-mile race begins at 8 a.m. and a Kids Race follows it at 9 a.m. Registration is $25 for NYRR members and $40 for non-members. The Kids Race is $8.

Online registration is closed, but you can sign-up on race day. For more information, visit nyrr.org.

What are you doing to show your solidarity with Boston?

Karla Bruning is host of On The Run, New York Road Runners’ web show about running. She has finished six marathons, two triathlons and trains with the New York Harriers. Follow Karla at RunKarlaRun.com, The Washington Times Communities, Facebook and Twitter@KBruning.

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The 2008 Boston Marathon finish line. (Photo: Dave Winer/Flickr: scriptingnews via Creative Commons)

My editor at The Washington Times Communities page asked me to write about yesterday’s bomb attack on the Boston Marathon from the perspective of a runner and reporter who has both run and covered events like it.

I wrote this:

The attack was meant to deafen our resolve, demoralize us, to terrorize us. For what purpose? We don’t know. Who knows why hate marauds the collective streets of the world perpetrating unspeakable evils.

That’s what the streets of Boston symbolized yesterday: the streets of the world. It’s what the streets of every major marathon come to mean on race day. The marathon is a globally unifying event, a universal symbol of perseverance in the face of adversity. It couldn’t be truer now.

You can read the entire column here. As I usually do, I tried to focus on the positive, even in the face of so much desolation.

It was hard to do. The attack on the Boston Marathon yesterday affected me in a profound way.

As news of the attack flooded in, I was instantly reminded of another dark day in America’s history. As a New Yorker, I was in the city on 9/11. Both of my roommates at the time worked within spitting distance of the World Trade Center. One of them saw one of the planes crash into the World Trade Center from a conference room in her building at the World Financial Center (a complex that also sustained damage in the attack), the other was caught on the street as the towers collapsed. I honestly didn’t know if they were alright until they arrived home to our apartment on foot hours later, one of them still covered in the dust and debris from the towers’ collapse.

It’s an image I’ll never get out of my head: my roommate’s brown hair turned gray from the building’s ash, her shoulders shaking from tears as I hugged her when she came through the door. She put her outfit from that day in a bag intended for the dry cleaner. The bag sat in our hallway for weeks, and eventually made its way into the trash.

New York City on September 11, 2011. (Photo: Courtesy of the Prints and Photographs Division. Library of Congress.)

I spent 9/11 in our apartment fielding phone calls from friends and family—especially theirs—who were unable to reach either of them. Other friends made their way to our apartment to wait, watch the news, and get updates from loved ones who worked downtown. It was like a vigil. We spent the day crying, pacing, and worrying, horrified by what we saw on television, horrified by the plume of smoke rising over the city we loved. We didn’t have to watch TV to see it. It was just outside our window.

Yesterday brought the terror of that day back, as my phone began ringing and buzzing with friends and family concerned that I was at the race.

I wasn’t. I was in Colorado for the wedding of a dear friend. My husband and I set our alarms early on Monday morning so we could watch the live stream of the professional races at the Boston Marathon from our hotel room. Shortly after the pros finished, we began our four-hour drive to the airport in Denver.

My husband had qualified for the 2013 Boston Marathon, but it was already sold-out when he ran his qualifying time in November at the Philadelphia Marathon.

But I had dozens of friends, teammates and even family at the race. Some were running, some where there to cheer, and some were there for work.

As soon as I heard about the attack via Twitter I took to my phone calling and texting all the people I knew that were there. Within two hours, I received word from them all that they were OK, despite the fact that a few of them were on scene when it happened or just a few minutes away.

But hundreds of other people were not so lucky. The attack left at least 154 people injured and 3 dead, and the toll continues to mount. I’m absolutely heartbroken for them, for their families, and for everyone who experienced yesterday. Truly, deeply heartsick. I feel as if my own family has been attacked. And it has. As runners and marathoners, we belong to a global community. If you attack one of us, you attack us all.

As for my husband, he’s planning to run the 2014 Boston Marathon. And I’m planning to be there to cheer him on.

It’s what we do. It’s what we must do. The human spirit and the spirit of the marathon—which I think of as one and the same—must live on, especially when hate and evil are trying to kill it.

My thoughts and prayers are with the victims of the Boston Marathon attack: the innocents who died, who were injured, who witnessed it all, and the family and friends of everyone who has been affected. My heart is with you. And I’m grateful to everyone who has stepped in to aid victims of the attack. You are truly heroes.

Karla Bruning is host of On The Run, New York Road Runners’ web show about running. She has finished six marathons, two triathlons and trains with the New York Harriers. Follow Karla at RunKarlaRun.com, The Washington Times Communities, Facebook and Twitter@KBruning.

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Karla gives snowshoeing a try in Colorado. (Photo: RunKarlaRun.com)

Greetings again from Colorado! My first day in the Rockies, my husband and I enjoyed a muddy run with literally breathtaking scenery near 9,000 feet above sea level in Tabernash, Colorado.

But for two mornings in a row, we have woken up to complete white-out conditions. The early hours of Sunday morning brought us 7 inches of fresh powdery snow with up to 10 inches on the mountain.

Too deep to run, there was only one thing left to do: snowshoe!

We woke up to a white-out outside our window. (Photo: RunKarlaRun.com)

Phil breaks our trail through the snow. (Photo: RunKarlaRun.com)

For a few winters now, I’ve been wanting to give snowshoeing a try. My husband, being Canadian, has been snowshoeing before.

“You realize snowshoeing is just walking, right?” Phil has asked me repeatedly.

Yes, yes, I did know that snowshoeing is just walking. Except that it’s not, as I discovered on my first snowshoeing adventure.

We headed out on the very same trails that we’d run just a day before, now covered in an endless blanket of untouched snow. We almost felt like we were in a black-and-white photo as white or grey covered every inch of ground and every patch of sky.

We rented our snowshoes from the activities desk of Devil’s Thumb Ranch, where we were staying. Since we hadn’t brought snow boots, they gave us cross-country ski boots to wear with our snowshoes.

Karla breaks trail through the snow. (Photo: RunKarlaRun.com)

It was incredibly windy in the valley where the 6,000 acre ranch sits. It was 20 degrees, but felt more like 3 degrees with the windchill factor. My cheeks stung, but the effort of moving through the fresh snow kept my body plenty warm.

We trudged through fresh, unmarked snow. (Photo: RunKarlaRun.com)

We were the first people to venture into the trails that day, which made for a magical experience. We felt like we were the only two people alive, forging through unknown territory. Not even animal tracks graced the snow yet. We were the first to spoil the blank palette of white.

A trail post at Devil’s Thumb Ranch in Colorado. (Photo: RunKarlaRun.com)

It was slow going. The snow was so deep—with 7-10 fresh inches on top of what had been sitting there all winter—that we kept sinking into the snow even in snowshoes. And as the first people to venture out after the fresh snowfall, we were breaking the trail anew. The effort felt similar to wading through water or marching with ankle weights on. My legs and my lungs burned. And the wind made our efforts that much harder.

We spent 2 hours out on the trails in our snowshoes. In that time, we only managed to cover 3 miles. If I’d been running on paved ground, I could have covered 12 miles in the same amount of time.

But it was oddly satisfying to work so hard for such little gain. I felt like a wanderer or a warrior, like Jon Snow of “Game of Thrones” beholding the vast tundra of Westeros north of The Wall.

After my first snowshoeing adventure I would heartily try the sport again. It was a nice cross-training alternative to running on a treadmill in the gym. It was peaceful and challenging at the same time.

Snowshoeing is challenging but enjoyable. (Photo: RunKarlaRun.com)

My Colorado vacation has come to an end. It’s snowing outside as I type. I’ll be glad to return to Spring in New York City. But I certainly enjoyed this winter sojourn in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains.

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