Even NYC is home to ultra-distance athletes. Read how they live, work and train.
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With visions of Beijing dancing in their heads, four local women dipped below the 2:47:00 qualifying standard set by USA Track & Field in previous marathons. In Boston on April 20 they will toe the line among 125 of the country’s top female distance runners to compete for three coveted Olympic slots. Here’s a glimpse at the runners representing New York this year.
Anne Kugler, 39
Qualifying Time: 2:44:57 at 2007 Philadelphia Marathon
Though a recent battle with injury sidelined this longtime and much-decorated runner from racing in 2007, Kugler made a remarkable recovery just in time for the Philly marathon last November. Despite what she claims was an off summer, training-wise, Kugler nabbed her Trials’ time—and her second-fastest marathon ever—just one week after her 39th birthday. Most recently, Kugler clocked a 1:20:04, first-place finish at NYRR’s Manhattan Half in January, and says she’s “very focused on training and ready to see how it all works out in April.” When she’s not running, Kugler is a therapist at Fountain House, a psychiatric rehabilitation program for people with serious mental illness, where she is developing a wellness program.
Gretchen Grindle, 29
Qualifying Time: 2:46:15 at 2006 St. George, Utah Marathon
Grindle, who moved to Manhattan last fall from Ketchum, Idaho, is admittedly not a “runner’s runner.” She’s doesn’t memorize stats, and even has trouble remembering her own times. “I have to Google myself to recall what times I have run,” she jokes. Still, Grindle’s blithe ignorance hasn’t stopped her from carving a name for herself among the who’s who of distance running. Beginning with a stellar All-American career at Colorado College, the financial advisor for Merrill Lynch has gone on to top finishes at NYRR’s Manhattan Half-Marathon (3rd; 1:23:24) and was a part of the 2004 197-mile Hood to Coast Relay championship team. Today, the Portland, OR, native logs about 60 miles per week, mostly alongside fellow Trials’ qualifier Michelle Rorke and their New York Athletic Club teammates, whom she credits for making her even stronger as she prepares for April 20. “It’s been great to have people to run with, as well as to have something bigger than myself to train for,” says Grindle. “I am so inspired to run with the NYAC runners, and now I’m even better prepared for the Trials. I hope to run a PR and have a race that I’ll be proud of for years to come.”
Caitlin Tormey, 23
Qualifying Time: 2:43:30 at 2007 ING New York City Marathon
The Staten Island native last year made a dramatic entrance last year into the marathon arena with a 2:48:26 debut at the 2006 ING New York City Marathon, following that up with her 2:45:02 finish at the Chevron Houston Marathon just 70 days later. Then, despite suffering from four stomach ulcers and anemia, Tormey ran an even-quicker 2:43:30 in New York last November. “With training twice a day, working, and attempting to live a normal life, I wasn’t sleeping or eating right, and eventually my body broke down,” says Tormey. To rid herself of stress—and of her medical conditions—Tormey took a leave of absence from her job as an account manager at Christies and moved to tiny Blowing Rock, NC, to train with ZAP Fitness, a group of elite long distance stars. A true city girl at heart, the transition to a rural town wasn’t easy for Tormey, but she plans to stick it out for the time being. “The downtime has taken a while to get used to, but I’m exactly where I need to be,” says Tormey. “I’m stronger now and positive that I will see some major improvements once it comes time to race.”
Michelle Rorke, 24
Qualifying Time: 2:43:08 at 2006 Boston Marathon
A former track star from Bronxville, NY, Rorke was just a 22-year-old senior at Williams College when she hit her Trials mark in 2006. She’s since moved to Manhattan, landed an editorial gig at Simon and Schuster, and joined New York Athletic Club’s elite women’s running team, with whom she trains and races with. After brilliant performances in last August’s NYC Half (1:18:15) and November’s ING New York City Marathon (2:49:52), a nagging hamstring injury forced Rorke to take a break from her 90-miles-per-week running routine. Still, she remains hopeful on her status for the Trials, expressing her excitement to rub elbows with the nation’s best. “I remember watching the women’s soccer team win the gold medal game in Atlanta. The feeling of pride in our country and in women’s athletics around the world was incredible,” says Rorke. “The Trials race is hardly a gold medal match, but for me, the sentiments surrounding the events are related.”
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