2021 NYC MARATHON: Meet the Marathoners
Our special preview of the 2021 TCS New York City Marathon kicks off with our “Meet the Marathoners” series. Over 60 New York Harriers are signed up for the race. Read below on how some of them are training and preparing for the big day — and how they plan to celebrate crossing one of the world’s most iconic finish lines!
STEVEN JOSEPH
Back in 1988, Steven lost 85 pounds in five months on his way to running a marathon. Since then, he’s completed 45 marathons, with a 3:17 PR from the 2011 New York City race. This year will be his 17th time lining up at the iconic start in Staten Island and this time it’s personal.
Training has been solid for Steven, a lawyer and a published author, as he logs 60 to 70 mile weeks in the lead up to the big day. Still, he says, it isn’t always easy. “Coming back to training for a marathon after a year off from racing” has been a struggle. But for Steven, it’s also that daily routine that keeps him going. “6:30 to 8:30 every morning, I am out,” he says.
So after running 16 New York City marathons, what makes this year so special? He’ll be doing it in support of a loved one. Steven is running on behalf of his former partner, “and forever soulmate,” Elena, who has ALS, raising funds through the ALS Association. If you’d like to help him reach his goal, check out his fundraising page here. Steven is looking to raise money “to help fight back against this terrible disease.” The Harriers will be cheering on Steven every step of the way.
GARY FRANKLAND
Gary Frankland thrives on being goal-oriented and is no slouch when it comes to the 26.2 beast: he’s completed 15 marathons, with a PR of 2:49:32 in Berlin in 2019. “I love having the plan to follow every day,” he says.
Gary joined the Harriers a decade ago in 2011 -- the same year he did his first marathon: New York City. This year, he’ll be heading to the start of his seventh NYC Marathon, having just completed Chicago earlier this month.
Gary does most of his miles solo in Prospect Park while following the Harriers plan, though admits to having “once scowled at Joe for the 10 x 800m at 10k pace workout on a hot summer day.” But he knows the training pays off, and particularly enjoys the longer marathon paced tempo runs toward the end of the marathon plan. “That’s when you start to feel that you’re ready for the race,” he explains.
Like many of us, Gary has turned to running to get through a challenging year, calling it “a crucial outlet to the cabin fever of being home so much.” He also uses running as an excuse to explore new territory, this year discovering some obscure new places in Brooklyn, including “feral cat colonies.” Perhaps a stop Coach Scott might consider adding to next year’s brewery tour?
As for his big goals for the race, Gary is eyeing a negative split. And if you think that’s challenging, check out his pre-race routine, an even more complicated matter: “Quantitative analysis on which porta potty line to stand in, based on a multitude of demographic factors and body language.”
While in training, he relies on Mötley Crüe to power him through, but during the race, he’ll go music-free and look for his wife, daughter and puppy on the sidelines in Brooklyn. “I also really, really look forward to the Harriers spot on 1st Ave,” he says. We’ll be looking for you, too, Gary!
ARI SCOTT
Just before mile 18 of the marathon is a tough spot. Fatigue is grabbing ahold of your legs and your lungs, doubt is beginning to creep in, and you still have 8 miles to go. And then, at the infamous White Castle on 1st Ave, your Harriers family appears. Ari Scott’s face in this photo from 2019 says it all. “I was SO happy to see everyone,” she remembers. “I always feel like if I can make it to White Castle, I can make it to the finish line.” On the first Sunday in November, the team will be just as enthusiastically cheering her on as they did two years ago.
This is NYC Marathon number three for the Harriers Treasurer. There have been some ups and downs this time around, but Ari feels optimistic as she tracks her progress and recovers from a stubborn foot injury. “There is something beautiful about the great puzzle of marathon training and trying to figure out where all the pieces fit,” she says. Then adds: “Also, all of the food.”
For Ari, hitting the road early in the morning “when it’s cool, quiet, and most people are still in bed” is still best. But when she crosses the finish line in Central Park, this solo runner won’t be alone.
Ari’s spent the better part of this year delving into her family’s ancestry, having uncovered “several hundred family members dating back to the 1400s.” That includes two great-great-great grandfathers who fought in the Civil War.
For inspiration on race day though, Ari will turn to someone closer to her in the family tree. In previous races, it was her mother who was on her mind during the tough spots. This year, it will be her dad, Charles Scott, who passed away in April 2020. “He was there to cheer me on in my first NYC Marathon in 2018,” Ari says, “and I’d like to think there’s a part of him that will be there for the 2021 race.”
And that’s what family -- those who are still with us in person, and those who are there in spirit -- is for. We know, powered by both of them, Ari will conquer the course and we look forward to seeing that smile at Mile 18.