And I wasnt alone.
Tired as they were, they all beamed when the medal was draped around their neck.
Some had come from afar to competeoccasionally very, very afar.
We trained together and we decided to stick together, Dell told SELF.
When one of us was flagging, the other would say, Have you eaten?
Have you had anything to drink?
Still, there were moments when Dell was tempted to throw in the towel.
I can do this, she told herself.
Left foot, right foot, just keep going.
And, in the end, she did.
There were plenty of other duos too.
Wearing matching Black Girls Run!
Shes faster than me, but she didnt want to leave me behind.
I was so surprised when I saw him.
I said, What are you doing here?!
But he said, Come on, lets go.
If it wasnt for those volunteers, I would never have finished, Best said.
Its very, very challenging to finish a race when everyone else finished a long time ago.
But nobody wants to spend a year training for a marathon and not finish, he said.
It took forever, my body feels like garbage, but Im good.
Pamela Ogata:We are.
We started our running career with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Societys Team in Training in 2009.
I got her [motioning to Aiko Ogata] involved in running because its a great physical activity.
She started at the age of 65.
We do it for ourselves, but we do it for others as well.
Every race we do, we pick a charity.
How many New York City Marathons have you done?
Pamela:This is our first.
We went to Tokyo.
She didnt quite finish that, but that was exciting.
But shes done LA a couple of times; Alaska.
What else have we done?
San Diego, Walt Disney.
Im a Disney buff.
I dont even know what our first race was
Aiko Ogata:San Francisco.
And that particular marathon gave out Tiffany necklaces.
Firemen handed them out.
So of course, two women, were going to sign up for that.
Sounds like you two have traveled all around the world for races.
Pamela:Its a way for us to bond.
Its a way for us to just have fun.
And for today, what was the toughest stretch of the course for you?
Pamela:There were a lot of undulations, and the bridges.
Five bridges, I think, and they were tougher than the hills in Boston.
It just was nonstop.
It gives me a whole new perspective on race strategy.
What was hard for you?
Aiko:The Queensboro Bridge.
You had to do a lot of hill training, and it went on and on.
Aiko:I really cant believe it.
I didnt think that I should do it, but with her support I did it.
Being 81 and running this bang out of course, it really takes a lot out of you.
And so Im just proud that I did finish.
Pamela:But we have to thank the whole of New York, all the boroughs.
You guys really came out and supported us.
I mean, to have people out there to the very end cheering you on is absolutely amazing.
It made us feel so special.
We would like to do it again.
It doesnt matter how fast or how slow you go, just keep doing itits the consistency.
Youre only racing against yourself.
Its a commitment to yourself, right?
To say, You know what?
Im going to take 30 to 45 minutes to do my three-mile run no matter what.
Guillermo Rangel:Im doing great, but I twisted my ankle.
I cannot run.
I had to walk the last 13 miles, maybe.
But this is my 41st marathon here, so I didnt want to drop out or quit.
I wanted to finish.
Do you think you have more in you after this one too?
[Nodding vigorously and grinning.]
What keeps you going?
What helps you stay motivated when its physically tough?
Well, I enjoy it.
Then, my situation of health.
I feel [physically] great because I run.
And then you also feel fulfillment because you achieve a lot of goals.
Today, well, its a different experience because I [am] injured.
But you kept going!
I dont, actually.
But its impressive seeing so many people run.
Little by little, little by little.
Just put 10 minutes or whatever [into] walking and running [daily].
And little by little, you will feel how it is inside, the health and your spirit.
You are very strong.
Im very grateful because it has a lot of benefits.
I strongly recommend it to you.
Do you have any other advice for aspiring runners?
To look for different experiences.
Im from Mexico, from Monterrey, Mexico, but I come every year here
Specifically for the marathon?
Wow, thats amazing.
This is the best.
I have been in Berlin, Vancouver, in Paris.
But this one is different.
What makes this one the best?
The organization and the city itself.
This year, it was so many more people cheering [for] you.
James Giorgio:Emotionally, Im riding a very, very high high.
Physically, I still feel pretty good.
Im surprised, actually.
What motivated you to want to do the marathon?
Is this your first?
This is my first marathon.
What really pushed me to do it was my wife.
She wanted to go running, and she started with runDisney down in Florida.
She was practicing late nights, and I didnt really like the idea of her being alone.
So we started making it a group activity.
We got to do it together, and learned to love it together.
She finished a couple hours ago.
She did really well, and I cant wait to see her.
Do you think youll run more marathons going forward?
I wouldnt be surprised if Im back.
I am tempted to do it again.
Clare Sheedy:Emotionally, I am all over the place.
I feel like my faith in humanity is restored a bit, which is really refreshing.
Physically, Im really tired and I am glad to be sitting down.
In those moments, what kept you going and what kept you motivated?
I think remembering the big picture.
Why did I sign up to do this?
I fundraise for a charity calledPAWS New York.
And I think just remembering it was for such a bigger purpose than me that I was doing it.
How long have you been running?
Its my first marathon.
I volunteer with PAWS New York, and they posted that they were looking for marathon runners.
And so I was like, Okay, what the heck, maybe Ill try it out.
Do you have any more marathons in your future?
Or are you one and done?
I mean, I always say, Give me a couple years to reevaluate.
Do you two have any plans for after this, in terms of celebrating a little bit?
Were going to go to P.J.
Carneys, which is our local bar and restaurant that we go to all the time.
He must have been a good source of support and advice as you were training for your first marathon.
It made it a lot easier.
Josh Graves:Yeah, I dont know how Im actually functioning still.
This is my fifth marathon.
I did my fourth one two weeks ago, and that was tough.
What led you to start running in the first place, or getting into the marathons?
Our first marathon was in 2022.
And she was so excited to do this one this year.
It shows me I dont give up.
And at the end, that just makes it absolutely worth it.
Once you finish, you have such a feeling of accomplishment, a rush of endorphins.
What advice would you give to people who are trying to get into running?
I would say start small, like a 5K, 10K, or even a half marathon.
Find one that doesnt have a [time] cutoff and just go.
What makes the New York City Marathon worth flying across the country for?
We like to find new areas to run, and its an incredible way to try new things.
Were here for a week, going through everywherefrom Staten Island through all the boroughs.
And the course support here was amazing.
Going through Brooklyn, everybody was just so excited.
This city was incredible for a run.
These interviews have been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
