Mark has always been active, growing up playing lacrosse, basketball, and football. After college, he turned to long-distance running as a way to stay fit and challenge himself after his competitive sports days came to an end. This year, Mark is preparing for his first marathon. For him, running is driven by discipline more than…
For firefighter John Buscovich, fitness has always been a part of his life, but his passion for running truly began when he started hitting the pavement with his son. As he trains for his first marathon, John says running helps him work through life’s challenges and release negative energy. The therapeutic feeling of a run…
After graduating from college in 2024, Jacob was looking for something to fill the competitive void left by years of playing football and lacrosse. That’s when he got into running. What started as a new challenge quickly turned into a passion, and last summer, he completed his first marathon in Pennsylvania. Now, Jacob is getting…
Courtney has been a longtime supporter of Answer the Call thanks to her father, a former FDNY firefighter who served with Rescue 3 in the Bronx. Each year, she would attend Answer the Call’s Annual Gala with him, leading to one of her favorite memories with her dad. The two often bonded over their love…
Lucy is a former professional soccer player and current NYPD Police Officer, ready to tackle her first marathon. Coming from a sports background, Lucy had only ever run casually as a way to clear her mind and mentally prepare herself for the many challenges she faces each day at work. Before this, she ran the…
Dianca became an avid runner during her second year of college and continued running through her admission to the police academy, where it became a sanctuary for her. She soon began participating in sanctioned races and has completed more than 50 over the past 17 years. As a first responder herself, Dianca was especially moved…
Katherine Wallace started running at just nine years old, following in her mother’s footsteps. She began competing in track in school and has loved running ever since. While she has completed several half marathons, the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon will be her first full marathon. As she prepares for race day, her biggest…
Colin started running while serving in the United States Army, where it was part of his daily routine even though he didn’t enjoy it at the time. After leaving the military in 2019, he stepped away from running for several years before picking it back up to get in shape. This year’s New York City…
Running has been part of Delainey’s life for nearly a decade, starting with cross country in high school and continuing through years of staying active in different sports including hockey. While she has completed half-marathons, the New York City Marathon has always been her dream because of its energy, crowds, and atmosphere. She knew from…
This November, Patrick will run his first New York City Marathon as a member of Team Answer the Call. While he grew up playing sports, including lacrosse in college, long-distance running is a new passion for him. He was inspired to take on the challenge after attending the Boston and New York City Marathons as…
Madison’s running journey began around ten years ago on her middle school track team and continued throughout high school and college. While she has completed a half marathon before, this year’s race will be her first full marathon. She says running reminds her that she can accomplish difficult things when she sets her mind to…
Amanda is originally from California, but throughout her twenties she moved multiple times for school and running became her one constant. As a former soccer player, Amanda found running to be the perfect way to stay in shape while exploring each new city she lived in. This will be her seventh or eighth marathon (she’s…
Although he doesn’t consider himself a serious runner, this year’s New York City Marathon will mark Joe’s third marathon. He was inspired to begin running through his sisters, who both ran in college, and his high school track coach who inspired him. Joe is running for Answer the Call because of his family’s connection to…
We are thrilled to share that in honor of their upcoming wedding, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce made a $2 million donation to Answer the Call. We are deeply grateful to Taylor and Travis for their generous gift, helping us to provide lifelong support to more than 500 families of fallen NYC first responders. Join Taylor…
Jack first started running as part of his practice routine with his high school lacrosse team, but he started running more seriously last year. For him, it became a fun way to explore New York City, and unwind after a long day of work. He has completed a few longer runs before, but the NYC Half Marathon will be the first…
Michael was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, and has been running for the past 20 years simply for the sake of his health. Running has always been more of a hobby for him, usually sticking to smaller distances like 5K every so often. This March, his son will be performing at Carnegie Hall,…
Lynna was never someone who enjoyed running. In fact, she avoided it altogether! That changed when her husband introduced her to obstacle racing. Spartan races were completely new to her, and her husband warned her about their extreme difficulty. These races are unique because they combine running with a wide range of obstacles, including climbing, jumping,…
Coming from a family of police officers, Camryn has always known about Answer the Call. Though an avid runner for her entire life, she rediscovered running two years ago when she ran her first half marathon in Brooklyn, New York! It was a difficult course to navigate, with many rolling hills, but she loved the scenic views the race had to offer. Camryn recently participated in the TCS New York Road Runners’ 9+1 program,…
Emily Burrows has been running since 2019, after losing her brother to suicide. Her endurance training became a way of giving her purpose during hardship. Ever since, she has run for several charities focused on suicide awareness and mental health. Her first time running the New York City Half Marathon was in 2022, and it…
As a former college athlete, Anders uses running to stay active. He previously played soccer and enjoys long runs and getting outside for fresh air. Anders has always trained for endurance, so when he gets going, long runs have never felt out of reach. Last year, Anders ran his first half marathon which turned into…
