El personal de NYRR escribe cartas a la ciudad de Nueva York

New York Road Runners staffers wrote letters of support to New York City, where many of us live, work, and run. New York is currently an epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic and its hustle and bustle have been temporarily silenced while its residents shelter in place and its frontline workers keep long hours to ensure our health and safety. We miss our running community and look forward to being together again.

Dear New York City, 

Tell them! Tell them we are not just the epicenter of COVID-19, but rather the epicenter of love, possibility, strength, triumph, community, achievement, and the greatest city on earth. My life’s story can’t be told without you. From my birthplace just a few blocks away from Central Park, to my first kiss on a rainy fall day in Carl Schurz Park, to Marcus Garvey Park where I train/run weekly with Harlem Run, to Prospect Park where I ran and trained for my first half-marathon, to Fort Tryon Park where I proposed to my wife, to St. Nicholas Park where my wife, friends, and I enjoy the perfect Harlem summer days picnicking and listening to music—you are so much of my story. The more I think of it, my NYC story is sewn together by all the major moments that are connected to a park. I miss NYC parks (the way they were—a gathering place for community), I miss being in physical community, but I feel secure in my faith that NYC can get through any and all things and come back better than before. Because if there is one thing I know for sure, Governor Cuomo is onto something with the constant reminder during his press briefings that we are “New York tough, which means more than just tough, it means discipline. It means unified. It means loving. And it means smart. We are NYC tough and we will get through this and come back better than we were before.” Oh what a glorious day that will be!

— Love, Thomas Moore, Development & Philanthropy

Dear New York City, 

Hey New York, we're resilient. We're smart. We're resourceful. We love a challenge. Thanks to our amazing first responders and essential workers, we'll get through this together and come out as a stronger, better community!

— Love, Thomas Cabus, Marketing

Dear New York City,

I have spent a lot of time over the last seven weeks reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar to my 2-year-old son. In this book, a caterpillar spends several days eating everything in sight before wrapping itself up in its cocoon to await its metamorphosis into a butterfly. I’ve been that caterpillar since 1999, eating up everything you have to offer as a city. Your museums, your clubs, your theaters, your restaurants, your media. I’ve traveled around you by subway, by bus, by car, by rollerblades, even once on a bike (but we don’t have to talk about that). But I have been the most satisfied traveling your streets on foot. I have laced up my shoes and run up and down your streets, across your bridges, through your parks, and along your beaches. Twice I have run 26.2 miles through all five of your boroughs.. It has been a revelation to see you at this level, to take in your sights and smells and sounds. Like the very hungry caterpillar, I filled up on your possibilities, and I still have an appetite for more. And now we in New York City are all in a cocoon together, awaiting what comes next. It probably will not be the same, but it might be even more beautiful on the other side. I look forward to finding out.

— Love, Lela Moore, Marketing

Dear New York City,

Hang in there, Big Apple, we will survive this pandemic and come out even stronger than before! This quote says it all: “New York City sits bold and beautiful, brash and bounteous, a Big Apple, representing the best the country and people have to offer. Never has there been a city like it, nor will there be again…it’s a city of achievers, often beset by adversity, but never bested by circumstances.” —John Clementis

— Love, Ruth Gursky, Youth & Community Services

Dear New York City,

As an artist, my five senses miss you. I miss hearing jazz at the downtown Manhattan Blue Note, seeing a new gallery at the Brooklyn Museum, smelling the new blooms at Bronx Botanical Garden, hearing the baseball crowd cheer at the Citi Field, and feeling the ocean breeze riding the Staten Island Ferry.

— Love, Krista Finck, Marketing

Dear New York City, 

I miss your vibrancy, your parks, your museums, the glittering skyline at night. I miss my friends who call you home. I miss Broadway, Central Park, and dogs on the subway. I miss my co-workers, and even some days, as crazy as it sounds, I am missing my commute. We might not always be on the best of terms, but right now NYC, I would love to see you again. I am willing to wait till it is safe to do so, because the people who you contain in your multitudes matter so much, but know this country girl who is always complaining about you misses you to the moon and back. See you soon, and take care of yourself. The world needs you!

— Love, Katie Manzi, Marketing

Dear New York City,

The NYC spirit is never stronger than when facing a crisis. The true spirit of the city, and its people, rises to the occasion, showing the true meaning of "being a New Yorker." I love my city and know that it will come out of this crisis changed, but stronger in a way we could have never predicted a few months ago. I couldn't be more proud to be a New Yorker than I am today.

— Love, John McInnes, Strategic Partnerships & Runner Products

Dear New York City,

I did not have the privilege to have been born in New York City but I've been living here for the last 27 years and I feel part of the city. I've seen good things and bad things happen in all these many years. We have been trough financial crises, hurricanes, and terrorist attacks and they have made us get stronger and united as one city. I've learned those little details that make this city the best city in the world. There are unique flavors for the different neighborhoods and different boroughs.. We all come from different parts of the world, have different religious beliefs, different cultures, different races but at the end we all love this city. Since my first time as a volunteer for the New York City Marathon in 1998 I have had an even greater appreciation for the city. We are living in one of the most challenging and difficult times the city has ever had in all its history. We are losing thousands to this epidemic. Our economy has been hit hard, and the future is uncertain. I know we will face this together. We will help each other and pull through as one like so many times before. Together we will face this challenge. This is not just the place where we have an apartment or our jobs. This is our city and we owe her that much.

— Love, Francisco Brenes, Strategic Partnerships & Runner Products

Dear New York City,

Life is tough. Just when you've overcome one challenge, it tends to throw an even bigger obstacle in your way. And another, and another, and another. It's exhausting. I know you wish that there was an actual "Easy" button. But there's not. And honestly, I know you don't really want one. Each obstacle you've overcome has made you that much smarter, stronger, better. Without these obstacles, you wouldn't be who you are. You wouldn't be our character. Our city. Our home. Our New York. I know this obstacle is unlike any you've ever faced before. I know you're uncertain. I know you're scared. But in the end, it's just another obstacle. And like every obstacle before it, you will overcome this one too. And when you do, you'll grow even larger in our hearts. You'll be better than we ever thought you could be.

— Love, Bradley Eckerson, Strategic Partnerships & Runner Products

Dear New York City,

I’ve always been a little shy. A little reserved. The type of person who didn’t want to make waves. So my favorite thing about NYC is that whenever there’s an classic New York injustice — someone cuts the line at Fairway, someone pushes past a crowd to hop on the M86 first, really any occasion will do — there will always be a New Yorker around to yell out exactly what I’m thinking but can never bring myself to say.

New Yorkers stand up for what’s right. New Yorkers stand up for each other. New Yorkers are strength incarnate. Stay strong and stay home and you will get through this. Living in New York for 12 years has made me a stronger person and I’m proud to carry it with me wherever I am. Now I stand up, show up, and speak up more (well, it’s a work in progress…).

I love you, New York, and I’ll speak up, donate, and advocate for your health and safety all I can…at least until you all shout at me to shut up from your balconies…I hear you.

—Love, Sheira Stein, Strategic Partnerships & Runner Products

Dear New York City,

I am so grateful for the combined efforts of every person living here to help #flattenthecurve together. We are saving lives every day, and building a better world for the future of all of us.

I offer a humble thank-you especially to all the frontline workers in medicine, health care, government, law enforcement, public safety, food service, sanitation, and so many other sectors who are keeping us safe, protected, fed, clean, democratic, and ready for what awaits us on the other side of this pandemic. We can never repay what you have given us and will always be in your debt.

— Gordon Bakoulis, Marketing

Dear New York City,

You have always been by our side. You have been there for countless miles, countless loops of Central Park, midnight runs through Times Square, bridge runs on weekday evenings, hard morning workouts on the East River Track, frigid West Side Highway runs, and easy fall runs with friends.

You are there every race day, without fail, your legion with you too, filling your streets with competition, celebration, encouragement, and life. While our pace has slowed, you are still a beacon of hope and opportunity for the world, including each of us.

It takes a team, with unyielding perseverance to get through tough times. That perseverance is what you give us. So, know, we are here for you. We always have and will always be. Stay strong.

— Bruno Garcia, Marketing

Dear New York City,

We've been through so much in my lifetime. From social and economic challenges to terrorist attacks and natural disasters, through it all, our city has stood tall. We've weathered some of the biggest storms and greatest challenges imaginable. Our resilience will stand the test of time because that's who we are. New York City is hope personified.

From the boogie down Bronx to Wall Street and everywhere in between, we are in this together and together we will rise. I've traveled the world and found nowhere I love more than New York, New York—the big city of dreams. "Spread love, it's the Brooklyn way" —The Notorious B.I.G.

— Sherrise Palomino, Youth & Community Services

Dear New York City,

I grew up in a suburb about 45 minutes from the city and, in my youth, the trip in to the city – whether to visit my grandfather in Brooklyn, my grandmother in the Bronx, or for the attractions of Manhattan – was incredibly thrilling. After the long car ride, it was mesmerizing to experience the tall buildings, the bustling traffic, and the pulsating energy.

For high school, I commuted in to a private school in the Washington Heights neighborhood and haven’t really left the city since – having attended schools and worked in pretty much all areas of Manhattan – uptown, midtown, downtown, and in-between. I have always been enamored with how each particular neighborhood in each of the five boroughs bring its own charm and personality.

Admittedly, though, I had begun to take the city for granted. Frustrated with the traffic, the congested trains, the constant haste, and the loud noise; many of the very same traits that appealed to me in my youth had grown old over time. I had fallen into a routine and stopped appreciating New York’s unique energy. Yet – as I sit now, as we all do, without the traffic, congestion, haste, and noise – I realize just how much I miss it. NYC is perpetually alive – even in these darker times – and what lies at its heart is its people. People from all over the world who have come to call the city their home and who each contribute in their own unique way. Times like these remind me of how incredible this “heart” is – the bravery of the medical field and essential workers (some of whom I’m proud to count among my family and friends), the generosity and gratitude of those stuck at home, and the resilience of the city at large.

So, yes – I miss the traffic. I miss the congestion. I miss the haste. I miss the noise. I miss NYC.

— Josh Jacoby, Strategic Partnerships & Runner Products

Dear New York City,

Originally from Syracuse, NY (“upstate” as us New Yorkers call it), I’ve been living here in the city for over a decade. I get frequent questions from close friends and family about when I’m going to move back upstate after having truly experienced you and all you have to offer. They wonder why I wouldn’t want to return to somewhere cleaner, cheaper, quieter, simpler. The truth is, you’re not easy and that’s what makes you so unique and addicting. You have a reputation for being a challenge, and I understand why. You’re fast-paced and abrasive. Loud and impatient. Hurried and brash.

As New Yorkers, we accept this, and it’s what makes our tightknit community so bold and relentless. Crammed subway trains and crazy prices aside, you’re a source of inspiration. This city is a special place where the best, the brightest, and the bravest are the norm. I am incredibly grateful for our courageous frontline workers who are risking their lives every day to keep us safe during this time of crisis. I miss your city buzz and endless energy.

Here’s to remaining hopeful and staying New York Tough. With love, 

—  Cara Moran, Marketing