There were over 50,000 entries into the 2019 New York City Marathon. One was CBA’s very own faculty member, Ms. Amanda Colannino.

Colannino had previously run the 2017 NYC Marathon, but was motivated to get back out on the 26.2 mile course through the five boroughs. The first time around, she ran the Marathon through the New York Road Runners 9+1 program, which guarantees a runner’s Marathon entry if he or she runs nine events and volunteers at another one.

This year, Colannino ran for a cause, raising money for Cystic Fibrosis research through Team Boomer.

Boomer Esiason’s foundation “encourages people with cystic fibrosis to incorporate exercise into their everyday lives, provides an avenue for individual athletes in a variety of sports to raise money for cystic fibrosis, and offers assistance to grassroots athletic events looking for a cause to support.”

Colannino was motivated to run for Team Boomer because of a personal connection.

“My friend Megan’s son lives every day with Cystic Fibrosis and I hear of his struggles and what he has to endure everyday just to breathe,” Colannino said. “He is an amazing young man who does not give up and has not let CF stop him from doing what he wants to do. Megan is an incredible mom who has sacrificed so much and is one of the strongest women I have the honor of knowing.”

After reaching her fundraising goal for Team Boomer, she was ready for the Staten Island starting line and the city course to follow.

“There are so many takeaways from the day. The biggest is just how amazing the crowds are,” she said. “There were literally over a million people standing on the streets for hours on end, cheering for strangers. They sincerely wanted all of us to do well and finish. There is such a strong camaraderie among the runners as well, we all support each other along the way.”

Colannino is no stranger to running and distance races. She caught the running “bug” in 2011, simply as a new hobby, but soon made it her goal to run a marathon. She ran her first half marathon in 2012 and her first full marathon in 2013. Since then, Colannino has run 14 different marathons, including the 2019 NYC Marathon.

But, there was something special about this year’s feat.

“During the race, I often thought of the quote sent to us by Team Boomer the day before the race, ‘tomorrow you will breathe heavy so that others someday can breathe easy.’ That was a reminder that running the NYC Marathon was for something far bigger than just crossing the finish line,” Colannino said.