Jim Medew : Ready and Raring to Go to 2013 NYC Marathon
On Sunday 3 November 2013 South West Personnel (SWP) Industrial Consultant Jim Medew will compete in his first New York City Marathon. This is Jim’s second attempt after embarking on the same trip in 2012 for his 50th birthday, only to see the race cancelled due to the devastation wreaked across 24 US states by Hurricane Sandy.
But Jim didn’t let a hurricane slow him down; he’s continued his training and has competed in five marathons in the past 12 months to prepare for a second shot at the event.
The ING New York City Marathon is one of the largest one-day sporting events in the world, with over 47,000 runners, two million spectators and a worldwide television audience of 315 million. And it takes more than 12,000 volunteers and 60 sponsors and partners to deliver the event each year.
The course will see Jim run a little over 42km from Staten Island to Central Park, through the five boroughs of New York.
Entry into the event is gained either through a lottery system, or by nominating for a New York Road Runner’s charity – and this year Jim is honoured to be representing the Labrecque-LUNGevity Foundation. Jim’s SWP colleagues, friends and family have donated over $3,000 to support Jim and to raise funds for lung cancer research.
Aside from the race itself, Jim is most excited about meeting former World Marathon Champion Rob de Castella and the Australian Indigenous Marathon Project team at a welcome breakfast with the Australian Consulate-General. “All the Australian race competitors have been invited to attend and I am looking forward to meeting the team and hearing their stories.”
After the race, Jim is planning time for a quiet beer and a lot of food! Then it’s back to training in Australia to prepare for his next big event, which is likely to be the Melbourne 2014 Marathon.
Jim is also keen to investigate some of the more obscure marathon events around the world, including the Istanbul Marathon, where the race officially commences in Asia but ends when runners cross the Bosphorous Bridge into Europe.
