The New York City MarathonWhen she turned onto Central Park South, Suzanne Neally was unprepared for what she saw. She was in the final mile of the 2019 New York City Marathon. The street itself was empty except for a woman perhaps 150 yards ahead. Crowds lined both sides of the road as they had for most of the course. But she did not realize that this long, three-block stretch was uphill. The Time-Warner Center was in the distance, defining Columbus Circle, where she would turn back into the Park. Her legs had been wobbly for miles. Will-power alone kept her going.
This was Suzanne’s first marathon. Her goal was to qualify for the 2020 Olympic Trials, or “OT,” in the marathon. She had no hope of actually making the team. But making the Trials would be huge. Her fastest half-marathon time
