NYCHA Runners Cross the Finish Line at the NYC Marathon
On November 7, more than 25,000 runners crossed the finish line in Central Park at the 50th TCS New York City Marathon. Congratulations are in order to all, including four NYCHA employees – Katherine Cruceta, Kamil Duzynski, Kirsten Jardine, and Keith Sanders – who are also members of NYCHA’s Running Club.
Though this year’s marathon was capped at a limited number of runners due to COVID-19, they all still experienced the cheers and support of more than a million spectators throughout the city. Runners began the 26.2-mile race on Staten Island, then proceeded through Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, the Bronx, finishing in Central Park. NYCHA’s marathon runners agreed that spectators in parts of Brooklyn and Manhattan were the loudest and most energetic. Read what else they had to say about their 2021 NYC Marathon experience below.
Katherine Cruceta, Executive Project Manager
Office of the SVP for Supply Management & Procurement
This was Katherine Cruceta’s first marathon, and the first thing she felt when she crossed the finish line was “relief! I was so tired.” But the best part of participating in the marathon was, “the supportive crowd and my friends who showed up to support, making it such a wonderful experience.”
Though she exercises consistently throughout the year, she trained for the marathon using a 12-week intermediate program she found online. She looks forward to running another marathon in the future and would absolutely recommend running a marathon to anyone.
Kamil Duzynski, Plasterer
Department of Management and Planning
This year’s marathon was Kamil Duzynski’s third NYC Marathon and ninth marathon in total completed; last month he ran the Boston Marathon.
“Crossing the finish line is a remarkable experience,” he said. “You can’t compare that feeling with anything else. You are really tired, but on the other hand you are super happy that months of hard work paid off!”
Mr. Duzynski said the best part of running a marathon is challenging himself and proving “that I can be faster than people much younger than me.” He doesn’t know if he’ll run the NYC marathon next year but has plans to do at least one more marathon to bring his number up to 10.
Kirsten Jardine, Senior Advisor
Office of the Chief Information Officer
This was Kirsten Jardine’s third NYC marathon. She felt like she was mentally preparing for this marathon for two years because was supposed to run the 2020 marathon (which was cancelled due to COVID-19).
Ms. Jardine said crossing the finish line was amazing: “Once I realized I had managed to achieve my goal of running under five hours, and all the hard work and training had paid off, I had a bit of an emotionally overwhelming moment. This was followed by the sheer joy and laughter of taking finish line photos with other finishers!”
She also said the crowd support and seeing friends, colleagues, and loved ones cheering were inspiring and motivating. “Also, if you think about the sheer logistics and organization involved in preparing the five boroughs of NYC for 30,000-plus runners and their supporters, it’s truly mind blowing. New York Road Runners does an amazing job.”
Ms. Jardine said the running community is one of the best communities to be involved in and is happy to connect with current, former, or potential new runners.
Keith Sanders, Labor Relations Analyst
Financial Planning & Analysis
Keith Sanders trained for almost five months to run his first marathon since he had ACL surgery on his knee three years ago. Mr. Sanders said miles 23 through 26 were difficult and painful, so when he crossed the finish line, he “was so happy to have gotten through it.”
“New York is known as among the toughest marathons in the world, with so many bridges and elevation changes,” Mr. Sanders said. “If you can run it here, you can run it anywhere, as they say in the song.”
The best part of running the marathon for him was “running the city I’ve lived in my whole life, including so many streets I’ve walked or driven down. Friends and family came to see me on the course, since they also live in the city.”
Mr. Sanders strongly recommends that every New Yorker watch the marathon live next year. “If you haven’t watched a marathon live, it is a sight to see: 50,000 of the fastest runners in the world (and Keith Sanders) jogging streets right near your home.”
NYCHA employees interested in learning more about the NYCHA Running Club should contact Ramon Lugo at ramon.lugo@nycha.nyc.gov or Rico Velez at rico.velez@nycha.nyc.gov.
