Full-time nurse and mother of 3 sets sights on NYC Half
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- A full-time working mom of three from New Jersey is contending for a top spot at this weekend's NYC Half. And at 40-years-old, she's also setting her sights on the 2020 Olympics.
Roberta Groner is going for a personal record with a race strategy called "negative splits." It means you start off at a set pace and get faster and faster as the 13.1 mile race goes on.
The strategy of speeding up as time goes on falls right in line with Roberta's running career. After competing in college, she stopped. For eight years.
Then, the full-time nurse started back up with a running group and caught her wind. She went to Chicago in 2011 and did her first marathon.
There, she qualified for Boston and since has cut 42 minutes off her time. She was recently named NYRR Runner of the Year for her age group, and she's been winning local races and joined the New York Athletic Club.
Roberta finished second at the US Marathon Championships, earning herself a spot at the Olympic trials.
Roberta will be pacing herself over the Manhattan Bridge on the new course, then speeding toward a competitive finish where her family waits.
ABC7 and Eyewitness News will carry full coverage of the event, starting with Eyewitness News from at 6 a.m. The NYC Half will air from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., and you can watch friends cross the line with our Find Your Finish camera, both live and on demand on abc7ny.
CLICK HERE for more information.
----------
