On Sunday, November 7th, seven runners will join Team Resolution to run the NYC Marathon and raise money for The Resolution Project. We are excited to welcome Marie Kloor, Andras Forgacs, Kelsey Overby, Gene Yiu, Edna Addo, David Larson, and Elisa Cuaron to the team!
We interviewed the runners to learn a little bit more about their relationship with running as well as their reasons for running with The Resolution Project.
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What are three words that describe your relationship with running?
Gene: Resilience, Mind-opening, Life-changing.
Kelsey: New, Challenging, Strengthening.
David: “Cheaper than psychiatrists” or my 4 words are, “Keeping the Streak Alive.” My running streak is over 1,370 days.
Edna: It is complicated!
Elisa: Lifelong, Therapeutic, Necessary.
How did you get into running?
Andras: I have been running since I’ve been a teenager including three seasons of track in high school. Since early on, I have gravitated towards longer distances and ran my first marathon after moving to NYC upon graduation from college. Between 1999 and 2002, I ran the NYC Marathon four times during some of the most memorable moments in the City’s history (such as after 9/11). This year feels especially memorable since its the 50th anniversary of the NYC Marathon and the first since the pandemic. It is also a challenge for me to get back into marathon shape after a 20 year break…no worries!
Marie: I’ve always enjoyed running as I believe it’s one of the most challenging workouts and can be cathartic. I’ve done a handful of half marathons but never a marathon, so I’m excited to complete this goal!
What is the first thing you’re going to do after you cross the finish line?
Gene: Sit down and hydrate.
Kelsey: Turn my music off and take in the moment.
David: Find my way out of the park/finish line area. It seems like you walk a marathon to get to the exit.
Elisa: Celebrate with a doughnut and a beer.
Edna: Find the nearest place to get a nice chilled bottle of Kombucha!
Why are you running for Resolution?
Kelsey: Resolution has played a huge role in my life and taught me how to exercise my agency in the world to drive impact. I couldn’t imagine doing it with any other team.
Edna: To help raise funding to support the organization’s great mission; helping develop the next crop of young responsible business leaders. Running to support this mission was a no brainer for me.
Andras: I’m running for Resolution since I’m passionate about social entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship in general as a means to accelerate and scale impact. I had been active in Resolution in the early days as a co-founder and am incredibly proud of how the organization has grown over the past decade to support more Fellows and enlist such a talented circle of volunteers. Given all the headwinds in the world — COVID, climate, social justice to name a few — and the growing frictions in international collaboration, I believe that Resolution’s mission is more urgent than ever. I’m running in the marathon to show my support so we can all go the distance on these challenges.
Marie: I believe in The Resolution Project’s mission to find and fund entrepreneurs working on social impact. As an entrepreneur myself, I know how meaningful that support can be.
Gene: I believe in The Resolution Project’s mission to empower young entrepreneurs to take on socially responsible initiatives and improve their communities.
David: A running friend recommended The Resolution Project and it looked like a great opportunity to support a great organization and run New York City.
Elisa: Kelsey inspired me to finally pursue my lifelong dream of running a marathon and I couldn’t imagine a better organization to support while doing it.
What makes your NYC Marathon special?
Gene: As a lifelong New Yorker, this is certainly a bucket list item. I’m looking forward to sharing this experience with my friends around the city.
Kelsey: This will be my first! I wanted to do it at some point in my life and figured the sooner, the better.
Elisa: This is my first marathon, but I’ve been dreaming of participating in a marathon my entire life. Having the opportunity to run with a friend was the catalyst to finally getting me to do it. Although with the way Kelsey’s taking on her training I’m afraid I’m going to be eating her dust on race day!
David: I have a lot of great experiences. My first marathon was Berlin in 1995 and my second was Seoul in 2000. At the ’95 Berlin Marathon, the course ran through the Brandenburg Gate which was pretty exciting. In Seoul, we finished in the Olympic Stadium which was pretty awesome; running out of the tunnel and doing a lap. This year in NYC was going to be my 50th lifetime marathon, but it will most likely end up as my 49th since they cancelled the Marine Corps Marathon.
Edna: It is my first full marathon, so I am quite excited about it. I do, however, have a love-hate relationship with race crowds so we will see how this one goes. Sometimes you get really pumped by their cheers, other times you just want absolute silence to allow you to get on with it. This was my experience when I ran my first half marathon a few years ago. Fingers crossed, but generally I think I’ll love it!
What’s your go-to song on your playlist while you run?
Andras: My playlist is usually Classic Rock. One of my favorite songs for running is “Can’t Stop” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Marie: I need a pulsing beat while I run. My marathon playlist is a mix of tropical house, disco and EDM. You can listen in here!
Gene: “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” by Wham
Edna: “Thunder / Young Dumb & Broke” by Imagine Dragons featuring Khalid.
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Follow the links above to donate to each team member’s fundraising page!