If you caught my blog a few weeks ago, you read that I was preparing to run my first marathon this year. Over this past weekend, I did just that. On November 19, my cousin, sister and I made our way to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, just below the steps of Philadelphia Art Museum to run 26.2 miles through the city.

The day before, my sister and I picked up our race packets at the convention center and headed over to Reading Terminal Market for cheesesteaks and donuts to carbo-load before the big day. We headed home and got a good night’s sleep before waking up to arrive at the start at 5:30 a.m. on Sunday morning to beat the security lines. By 7:10 a.m., we were off. I started the race alongside my sister before splitting off (she is a speed demon). My cousin Matt, a much more experienced runner, left us earlier, as he was starting with the first waves of runners.

As we kicked off the race down the Parkway, we headed toward iconic City Hall before making our way toward the Delaware River for a bit down Christopher Columbus Boulevard. We then circled back toward Center City, running down South Street, toward Rittenhouse Square and out to West Philly. My parents were waiting for us around Mile 7 to give us a boost of energy. At that point, I hadn’t even realized how far we already ran, as the start of the race was a breeze.

Then, we headed past Philadelphia Zoo and into Fairmount Park by Belmont Plateau. This was a little trickier as things got hillier, but I was still feeling great. My friends were waiting for me at mile 13, the halfway point, with some much-needed cheering and a Miller Lite for me to boost morale. We then headed east across Girard Avenue to Fairmount Park East, and rounded our way before heading down to Kelly Drive for the final out and back of the race.

This brought us to Manayunk. This is where things got tough as we were approaching mile 20, the farthest I had run prior to the race. Some friends as well as my Aunt Nora and cousin Ashley were here to cheer us on amongst the absolute party that was Main Street. People were handing out everything from orange slices to shots of Fireball, which was so fun to run through. I was struggling a bit at this point, with my knee and headspace giving me a hard time, but the “You’re looking STRONG” from a stranger cheering us on brought me back.

Only six miles were left down Kelly Drive, where I have spent almost every training run up until the race. I knew these miles and knew I could make it, and soon enough I would be by Boathouse Row and back to the museum where my friends and family were waiting for me at the finish line. By the time I hit the boathouses, I was hit with a surge of energy and finished the race with nothing but a huge smile.

While I wish I was a tad faster and kept my initial momentum throughout the entire race, I am so proud to have done what I set out to do — to finish my first marathon. After finishing, I met my family and friends to celebrate with drinks and tons of food. I feel so lucky to have had so much support along the way.

I wasn’t sure before if I would run another, but now I am already thinking of next year. And now, a few days after, legs recovered and blisters healing, I have already registered for some of next year’s races. I’ll be taking this week to rest, as it is Thanksgiving, but then I’ll be back in my running shoes.

— Aly Evans, business development and events coordinator