This weekend 39,000 people will run together across 5 boroughs -- a feat that will span more than 26 miles. Some of them will be accomplished athletes, others will aim to push their bodies to the limit, and others still will be running for something that extends far beyond themselves.
We will follow three of these runners in our upcoming documentary My First Time: The ING New York City Marathon. Each of them is running for a cause that has shaped part of their lives. Both heartbreaking and inspiring, these stories are what have driven them to run a marathon -- for the first time.
And, meet the runners:
Harris Beber is running on behalf of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. The Long Island native is the founder of giftback.com, a gifts Web site that donates money to a chosen cause with every order. Beber was inspired to start his company after his friend Ethan lost the use of his legs after being struck by a drunk driver. With no cure for spinal cord injuries, research is Ethan's only hope of walking again. Harris' journey Saturday will benefit that research, but won't come easily. Because Harris trained in such a short time he suffers from painful strained tendons in his legs that will add even more obstacles to his long-distance run.
Track Harris' training at his running site: Runharrisrun.com
Learn more about Team Ruby (named for Ethan) at: Rubyrun.blogspot.com
Learn more about Harris' and Ethan's cause: The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation
Adrienne Press is a five-year cancer survivor. From organizing bake sales and seminars to performing in Central Park, fundraising is a part of this Lower East Side native's daily life. Adrienne is running with Fred's Team, whose fundraising efforts benefit the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Throughout training, Adrienne's biggest struggle has been coping with lymphoedema, an ongoing condition, which has resulted in harmful swelling in her legs.
Find out more about Adrienne's team and cause: Fred's Team
Ben Simmons hails from the UK and was born with a condition that left him with one functional leg. Until three years ago he relied on an antiquated wooden leg. Recent advancements in prosthetics have allowed him to do something he never thought possible... run. Ben hopes to complete the marathon in 5 hours, and is running with the Achilles Track Club, an organization that encourages the physically disabled athletes to participate in mainstream athletics.
Find out more about Ben's cause: Achilles Track Club
Follow along as Harris, Adrienne, and Ben tell their stories, and their passions propel them to extremes for their causes. For these three runners the race began before it actually started, and it will continue long after they cross the finish line.
If you want to learn more about the history of the NYC Marathon, follow another first-time marathoner -- Judd Ehrlich, director of Run For Your Life, a documentary about Fred Lebow, founder of the New York City marathon. Though not featured on our documentary, Ehrlich, whose documentary was met with acclaim at the Tribeca Film Festival, will also be running his first marathon this weekend, in honor of his documentary subject. You can buy the Run For Your Life DVD at Screen Media Films or head to The Village East Theater to see it on the silver screen. Search for showtimes.
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