2009 Race Day Highlights

Talk about a hot flash: Unseasonably warm weather prompted officials to cancel the marathon (26.2 miles) and conduct the half-marathon (13.1 miles) as an unscored, noncompetitive event.

Supermodel, actress, and author Carol Alt (left) hosted the day’s events.

Runners and walkers represented 48 states and 9 countries — and more than half were women over 40. Participants raised $27,000 for CARE, an organization that empowers women around the world to help end global poverty.

The first athlete to cross the finish line was 2008 Olympian Magdalena Lewy Boulet, 35, of Oakland, CA, who ran approximately 1:18:05 (exact times were not recorded) on a course consisting of two-plus loops of hilly Central Park. “Given the heat, the goal was to do a good training run in Central Park, and I accomplished that,” said Lewy Boulet. “It’s always inspiring to be here in New York, and I got extra inspiration today from this event.” Katarina Janosikova, 28, of Astoria, New York, finished in second place, about 75 meters behind Lewy Boulet.

Third place was declared a tie among three-time MORE Marathon champion Susan Loken, 45; her friend Susie Meyers-Kennedy, 43, of Chandler, Arizona; and Christine Glockenmeier, 41, of Basking Ridge, New Jersey. The three women crossed the finish line hand-in-hand and embraced in the post-finish area.

CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux also participated, finishing in over three hours and providing Twitter updates throughout the race.

New York Road Runners Anne Wells Crandall, MORE Editor-in-Chief Lesley Jane Seymour, and Carol Alt.