For the storied New York City Marathon, runners in Central Park or along the Hudson River ran but just not along the same course. The yearly race, originally slated for yesterday, was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic but diehard runners were not missing their shot in the 50th year of the race.

Marathon Canceled But Runners Stride On, Marathon Goes Virtual

The NYC Marathon technically commenced on October 17. It was one of the many races to come in a virtual form following its cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, runners were opted sign up to complete a 26.2-mile route of their choice in the course of two weeks.

According to Paul Casino, 55, a runner for the marathon since 2004, "The day they announced that it wasn't going to happen, that's the day I said I'm going to run it anyway," reported The News York Times.

Jerry Marcus, 70, who lives in Manhattan and has run 23 New York City marathons since first partaking in 1987, said, "Signed up the day before and paid 10 bucks," reported Sports Business Journal.

This year on the NYC marathon day, Marcos, alongside 50,000 other people who paid a maximum of $255 to participate in the largest marathon in the globe was not rushing to run 26.2 miles.

Meanwhile, Tina Fritz, a 47-year-old Mississippi woman, who ran a marathon through her hometown on Sunday, stated running the largest endurance run in the world has long been her goal.

In 2012, Casino joined hundreds of people who ran the marathon despite its cancellation after Superstorm Sandy's direct hit.

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People signed up to complete their own version of the 26.2-mile route and complete a virtual New York City Marathon. 

Kristina Nungaray, who ran her first race on Sunday, learned her father in Texas had COVID-19 days after she signed up for the virtual marathon. She reportedly ran to honor her father and for herself. "I signed up for this race to push me out of my comfort zone once upon a time ago. And now I'm doing this race to move forward and reconnect me to my comfort zone," explained Nungaray, reported Inc.

Scott Kishere, a 37-year-old indie filmmaker and police community supofficer, stood in front of his home donning a bib he had printed out himself. He used an app in order to track his personal marathon route and heard ambient noise from a past marathon through his earphones, accompanied by the sound of the starting gun.

Flocks of people usually gather at the entrance to the Verrazano Narrows Bridge on Staten Island on November's first Sunday. They would be gearing up to run the first miles of the NYC Marathon. This year, not mere frustrated amateurs who are partaking to relieve their disappointment of the real marathon being called off but also some elite runners ran the virtual marathon.

Organizers declared the cancellation of the NYC marathon on June 24.

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