Local runner goes the distance at NYC Marathon

Char Burks always seems to be on the run, whether at her Country Grounds Coffee stand at the roundabout, shifts with the Swinomish Tribal Police Department or keeping up with her kids.

But in New York City recently she really stepped up the pace.

Burks joined over 50,000 other runners, including her cousin, Holly Hendren, and friends Cheryl Otis and Amanda Bedker, in the field of the 2022 New York City Marathon, one of the sport's elite events.

Burks finished the race in just under five hours, a solid time given the day's record November heat. She followed an online program to train for the 26-mile test of speed and stamina.

She, Hendren, Otis and Bedker crossed the finish line alongside one another, having weathered together the unseasonably warm fall temperatures.

"The humidity was rough," Burks told the Weekly News. "It was 75 degrees and hot."

Fortunately, she was prepared. Prior to hitting the ground in New York, she had run up to 20 miles each week here, supplementing that road work with regular CrossFit workouts.

"Running and CrossFit have been my mental and physical therapy for years," Burks said.

It also helped that she and her three running mates went to New York with a higher purpose. Their marathon mission included raising funds for Camp Korey, which provides transformative camp experiences free of charge for families having children with serious medical conditions.

Burks said she took great pride in running the Marathon on behalf of Camp Korey, east of Mount Vernon and named for Korey Rose, who lost his battle with bone cancer at age 18.

She was inspired as well by the large crowds that cheered entrants from all over the globe as they strode through the city's five boroughs. Burks said they crossed several of the city's iconic bridges, starting with the double deck Verrazzano-Narrows suspension span connecting Staten Island and Brooklyn.

"The crowd's energy in each borough just got better and better," said Burks. "I'm not sure this one can be topped."

Before the marathon, Burks and friends took in the New York City atmosphere. Over several days leading up to the race, they walked more than 30 miles and took in the city's storied landmarks. They saw the Empire State Building, Times Square, Rockefeller Center, St. Patrick's Cathedral, the 9/11 Memorial, Trinity Church and Cemetery, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty and Battery Park, to name a few.

For Burks, who owns a business in a destination town, it was great having the opportunity to be a tourist in the Big Apple. And despite the grueling nature of a marathon, she truly enjoyed every minute – and mile – spent in the nation's largest city.