From bucket lists to raising funds for causes dear to their hearts, hear about what inspired these Cornellians’ journeys to run the 2022 New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 6.
Felix Lung ’96, MEng ’97
Brooklyn, NY“I originally tried to get into the 2014 NYC Marathon as something to cross off my bucket list. Little did I know that 8+ years later, I’d end up running 22 marathons, three ultra-marathons, and countless other races of various sizes. Running has changed my life―made me make healthier choices; prioritize what’s truly important in my life, and introduced me to a new community of like-minded people. Most importantly it gets me outside―super important when I spend so much time indoors and at work. Running is my form of therapy―no matter the distance. The NYC Marathon in particular is the best day of the year―a time the entire city comes together and strangers are actually friendly to you. It’s unheard of and the best feeling in the world.”
Jacqueline Celi ’12 (CALS)
New York, NY“I hope to make friends, get back into running, and make Cornell proud!”
Rachel Minton ’15 (HumEc)
New York, NY
Bib # 950“As a born and raised Manhattanite, I grew up watching and celebrating the NYC Marathon. Running IN the race has been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember. Until two years ago, I thought it would be a perennial item on my list and not something I could actually achieve. Then COVID hit. I had to pass the time and keep my head clear. So I bought my first pair of running shoes and ran a mile in central park. The next day I ran two miles. Shortly thereafter, three miles, until I eventually completed my first half marathon in March of 2021. After that race, I decided this was the time, and I began the process of qualifying for the 2022 NYC Marathon. This process has been grueling, inspiring, and all-around incredible. One constant throughout my running journey has been my Cornell baseball hat, which I purchased during senior week before I graduated in 2015. This hat has been on my head for every run, at every race, and will help me cross the finish line on November 6th―and will then be retired into a frame on my wall, along with my medal. I can’t wait to tackle this race with Big Red love propelling me forward.”
Ali Corkran ’19, MEng ’20
Kalamazoo, MI
Bib # 45792“This will be my first ever marathon so I’m excited to face a new challenge in such an exhilarating environment. I’ve always heard such great things about the NYC Marathon. I’ve had several family members run it and every time I meet a finisher, they are so excited for me! I can’t wait to join that community.”
Jonathan Stein ’94 (HumEc)
Weston, CT
Bib # 26957“The NYC Marathon is a truly amazing experience.”
Crystal Cun ’07 (A&S)
Brooklyn, NY“I am excited that NYC will be my sixth marathon, but also my first as the president of Prospect Park Track Club. My time at Cornell was formative in honing my leadership skills, and I am proud to helm a 1700-member non-profit organization that gives back to New York’s running community through acts of service, solidarity, and financial support.”
Meredith Rosenberg ’92 (A&S)
Boston, MA
Bib # 43742“I always run in my Cornell hat―for every race and every training run. I love the shoutouts I get along the way from other Cornellians or the extended Cornell community. No matter where I am, it’s always a boost of energy! This is the second time I am running the NYC Marathon. Can’t wait to run past the Cornell cheering section/water station!”
Adam Kushner MArch ’94
New York, NY“This will be my 33rd running of the NYC Marathon. This is a yearly ritual that I have partaken in for more than half of my life. It is a movable feast and a celebration of the city I was born in, and that has nourished and molded me into the person I have become. It is also a personal journey that helps me measure my time on earth. The cyclic nature of training has seen me go from famine (winter months) to feast (when I am in the best shape of the year) and back again. I enjoy the intensity of the training, especially when juxtaposed with the laze of my post-marathon season, allowing me to appreciate each of these times. Cornell, in a similar way, nurtured me. I met my wife-to-be on my second day in Ithaca. We are both Cornellians and have great allegiances to all things Cornell. Cornell shaped my career and my critical thinking and, of course, allowed me to have a family (and two wonderful children). I will always be indebted to my time spent on the Hill.”
Susan Jiang ’16 (Dyson)
Seattle, WA“It’s been a journey getting to the NYC Marathon start line! I originally started training for the 2020 race, stopped for two years due to COVID-19, then picked up again this year to far surpass my previously longest 8-mile run. Running the NYC Marathon has been on my bucket list, and it is even more special now as this will be my first time back in NYC since moving to Seattle in 2020. Thank you to all the Big Red supporters in NYC and everyone else cheering us on at home! Can’t wait to see you at the finish line!”
Eaveryll Henriquez ’23 (CIS)
Norwell, MA
Bib # 36066
“I am running the NYC Marathon with my two sisters. We are running together to raise money for breast cancer research, as it has touched our lives in many different ways. We have trained for months physically in different parts of the country, coming together to run some of our more significant milestones, but we are always there with each other for every step, stride, and run.This marathon means a lot to me in my Cornell life because I am graduating this year. I have tried to make the most out of my time at Cornell– double majoring, working part-time, joining various clubs from Women in Computing Cornell to Women’s Club Lacrosse, studying abroad, and now I get to add completing my first marathon to that list. I am beyond excited to have this as a part of my Cornell experience and to share this with my oldest sister, a Cornell alumna. Furthermore, my parents, who are both Cornell alumni, ran two marathons together when we were growing up, and they are a huge inspiration to me and my sisters’ running this year. I am excited to share this accomplishment with my sisters, family, and Cornell community.”
Tom Coghlan JD ’17
Metuchen, NJ“This is my first try at a marathon! I always thought it was impossible, but I saw some friends do it in 2019 and wanted to give it a shot. COVID canceled the year I was going to do it, but I am excited to do it now.”
Wajeeh Faheem MBA ’94
New York, NY“I am running the marathon because I realized after the COVID pandemic that it’s important to try and do things on your wish list and not take time for granted. Cornell cheering on its alumni will have a special meaning.”
Lisa Hirsch ’97 (HumEc)
New York, NY“This will be my third live NYC Marathon. I also did the virtual version in 2020. My goal this year is to complete two marathons. I ran Berlin three weeks ago, so NYC is next. I started running in 2019 to maintain weight loss, and it ended up really helping my mental health. Training and running NYC in 2019 helped me work through the pandemic as a physician doing palliative care. Many of my teammates are also from Cornell. The street support gets you through those last miles when your body is like, “what?” My niece is also a freshman at Cornell running cross country, so Go Big Red!!!
Dara Karac ’18 (Engineering)
Los Angeles, CA“I have always found peace and mind clarity when running. It helped me come back to myself. Completing a marathon is a challenge I’ve always wanted to accomplish; I love putting myself up to tasks that are hard to achieve. I also used to live in NYC, and running in the city, which shaped me into the person I am today, means a lot. Having the Cornell community cheering for me means everything. I hope to experience the unimaginable, fighting through pain while having thousands of people helping me to achieve my life goal.”
Elizabeth Hale ’94 (A&S)
New York, NY
Bib # 21115“This year, I will be running my eighth NYC Marathon with my sister and partner, Julie, who graduated from Weill Cornell Medicine. We are both dermatologists in practice together in NYC and literally run wearing these shirts (I am SIS, and she is TERS). And, yes, we ALWAYS run on the same side. This year’s race is especially meaningful, as I am running in support of SNACK*, a special needs activity center for kids and young adults with autism and other special needs. My son, Dylan (CALS ’24), volunteered with this amazing organization throughout high school and continues to do so when home on breaks from Cornell. While I am undertrained relative to years past, I know NYC 2022 will be extremely special!”
Jillian Whiting ’19 (Engineering)
Somerville, MA
“The NYC marathon will be my first-ever marathon. I am running to raise funds for Water for People, an organization that supports drinking water and sanitation solutions around the globe. My passion for supporting safe water on tap began by working on the AguaClara project team at Cornell. I am excited to complete a bucket list goal for myself while supporting a cause close to my heart.
Stephen Mong ’92 (Engineering)
New York, NY
Bib # 17049“The strong spirit of the runners and the immense energy of the crowds that line the entire 26.2 miles make the NYC Marathon a truly electric event. To me, running races allows me to challenge myself. Running marathons challenge me mentally and physically. When I ran the NYC Marathon for the first time in 2018―my first marathon ever, I challenged myself to finish the race. What a feeling it was when I crossed the finish line and met that challenge. This year, I am challenging myself to finish with better results. Wish me luck!”
Alexis Henriquez ’19 (HumEc)
Brooklyn, NY
“My two little sisters―Chase, a Duke 2021 alum, and Eavery, a member of the Cornell Class of 2023―and I decided to run the NYC Marathon together this year. We have always been inspired to run a marathon after watching our parents―dad, Cornell Class of ’92 and mom, Cornell Class of ’94―run the Boston and Chicago Marathons while we were kids. Together, the three of us have fundraised over $17,000 for Fred’s Team through Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. We will be donating all of the funds raised to breast cancer research in honor of our mother and late grandmother, whom both had brave battles against breast cancer. We are so honored to have the Cornell community (and the Duke community as well) cheering us on! They have been a huge part of our ability to fundraise as much as we have. With this immense feat, we, as sisters, are excited to share another incredible experience and support MSK’s endeavors to cure cancer.”
Katie Stinebruner ’17 (Engineering)
Brooklyn, NY
Bib # 22277“I’ve always wanted to run this race! I’m looking forward to lots of excitement and seeing all of the boroughs in one run!”
Ally Futterman MBA ’23
New York, NY
Bib # 58006“This will be my first time running a marathon. As a native New Yorker, running the NYC Marathon has always been a dream. I was signed up to run in 2020 but deferred until this year, so I am super excited to have the opportunity to run finally. I am running for a charity very close to my heart, SNACK*. SNACK* programs, geared toward children, teens, and young adults ages 3-21, are designed and staffed to address challenging behavioral issues, increase skill levels, and promote improved social interaction. I am super excited to have family and friends along the course to keep me going and especially excited to see members of the Cornell community!”
Taisuk Kim ’11, MEng ’12
Hoboken, NJ
Bib # 1543“I love the primal aspects of running. Our biological ancestors evolved to be efficient distance runners, which helped them survive the harshness of nature. We all are intrinsically and primally distance runners. Living in NYC, where lives are modernized and relationships are built upon business networking, I need alone time, whether it’s an activity or meditation, to stay balanced, energized, motivated, and passionate, as well as sane. As a primal activity, running gives me all these benefits that balance my life.”
Amy Gruenhut ’01 (HumEc)
New York, NY
Bib # 13656“I’m running after surviving a deadly rare brain infection that hit me in January 2022. I was sick, and in a coma, and doctors thought I wouldn’t survive. I was diagnosed with viral encephalitis and had to re-learn how to perform every basic daily life activity, including walking, talking, and breathing on my own. It is truly a miracle that I am running the marathon. Dedication, perseverance, determination, courage, and belief in my dreams and goals are what’s going to get me to the finish line this year. I wrote about my story in detail for the Today Show and would love any support and cheering along the 26.2 miles.”
Rebeka (Tannenbaum) Getty ’16 (ILR)
New York, NY“The 2022 NYC Marathon will be my first marathon, and I am running the marathon with team Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF). I joined the MMRF team in honor of my grandpa. I have watched the NYC Marathon for years and have always been so inspired by it. I am excited to tackle this challenge and my first 26.2!”
