The NYC Marathon

2. 1st Avenue: This street is mythic. I’d been told that the crowds pour onto 1st Avenue to cheer us on, but no one told me they would give my feet wings. I felt like a running rock star. The shouting was so loud I could actually feel it in my chest. Any doubts or pain I had vanished as it seemed the whole world turned out to give me, Kim from Utah, the boost I needed to keep going.

1. The Spectators: My poor iPod never had a chance to do its work. I never turned it on. Who needs it with hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers helping me along my way. Whether it was during the race or as I walked around town with my medal proudly hanging around my neck, New York made me feel special. New York made me feel big. New York made me feel like a star.

So, thank you, New York. You have a reputation for being tough and unrelenting, but I saw your soft side. I saw your kindness and generosity. I saw your spirit and energy. It was an incredible moving party, a celebration of life that I will never forget.

If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere. It’s up to you, New York, New York!

Kim Cowart is a wife, mother, 24-Hour Fitness instructor and now a New York City Marathon finisher.