Resolution and Registration

This is a good day for our New York Road Runners organization, which gave me my opportunity to become a runner 6 years ago this month. The 2012 NYC Marathon Resolution finally has been announced, and I am pleased this has been done before the holidays. I know there were a lot of members like me who exerted significant pressure on the NYRR to act swiftly, and I am giving thanks where it is due.

The options are basically to receive a full refund for the canceled race, receive guaranteed entry into the 2013 NYC Half next spring, or receive guaranteed entry into either the 2013, '14 or '15 NYC Marathon. For NYRR to offer a refund to any race is a remarkable exception, and that is the option I will be taking once our January 11-25 window opens to exercise options. I've done the NYC Half twice, I am already guaranteed for the 2013 NYCM, and I can easily do the 9+1 for any NYCM.

Keeping up my end of the bargain, I greeted today's announcement by immediately resuming registration for NYRR races. I will be running the Joe Kleinerman 10K on Jan. 5 and the Manhattan Half on Jan. 27. Those will be my first two races of 2013 on my way toward another 9+1 (9 scored races & one volunteer gig) completion so that I will be guaranteed entry in the 2014 NYC Marathon. (Am already in for 2013).



For me, the Joe is a tradition. It will be my fifth. It was the first NYRR race I ever entered. On Dec. 10, 2006, one cold day at Central Park, NYRR head Mary Wittenberg took the microphone at the start. In the middle of a big pack of runners, I heard her voice say: "Start easy and finish hard." I always associate Mary with those words that got me running, and on the day she announces the marathon resolution I am thankful and can appreciate all she has been through with this ordeal.