Sunday, November 3, 2013

Celebrities running for charity in New York Marathon

   EXCLUSIVE

PPNY/GSNY



Supermodel Christy Turlington says the crowds along the marathon route "really amp you up."




Those cheering on the 48,000 runners in Sunday’s ING New York City Marathon just may spot a supermodel or reality star in the bunch. Christy Turlington and Bill Rancic are among a handful of all-stars racing the 26.2 miles for charity.


This is how they got here.


CHRISTY TURLINGTON BURNS, 44


The supermodel is running for Every Mother Counts, a campaign she founded to reduce deaths related to pregnancy and childbirth caused by limited access to medical care.


“I love running, and this is such a natural fit for my charity’s specific issue — in that 26.2 miles is very close to the average distance that women in some countries travel for emergency medical care,” Turlington says.


She has been training in Central Park, and running up the West Side Highway to the George Washington Bridge.


The crowds are what sustain her on the big day. “They really amp you up,” she says. “I love running across the Verrazano Bridge and through Brooklyn. At the end, when you need that extra push through Central Park, the crowd gets you through..”


BILL RANCIC, 42


The entrepreneur and winner of “The Apprentice” is starting the race dead last. For every runner he passes, Timex is donating $1 to wife Giuliana Rancic’s Fab-U-Wish charity . The program treats women with breast or ovarian cancer to amazing experiences.


“It’s going to be tough mentally,” he admits. “Everyone goes off, and then I’m bringing up the back of the pack. But it raises a lot of money for breast cancer, and that hit pretty close to home for us with Giuliana battling it.”


Rancic, whose wife is a breast cancer survivor, hopes to raise $25,000 or $30,000. “But that’s a lot of people!” he admits. “I’ve run two marathons: One in my 20s, and one in my 30s. I’m 42 now, and my body is not responding like it did.”


He also has a baby to take care of now. “But it can be done,” he says. “And if you do it, it’s probably one of the most rewarding things you’ve ever done.


When he grows tired during the race, he visualizes himself crossing the finish line. “I think about why I’m running: those women battling cancer. This is nothing compared to what they’re going through.” o


SARAH REINERTSEN, 38


The “Amazing Race” star and first female leg-amputee to finish the Ironman World Championship is running for the Challenged Athletes Foundation.


The organization gives out grants to help pay for prosthetic running feet, wheelchairs for playing basketball, handcycles and other equipment.


“My running leg — which is more expensive because I’m amputated above the knee — [costs] about 35 grand,” she says.”


Reinertsen plans on finishing the race in five to six hours. “I want to savor this New York Marathon,” she says. “I want to soak up going through the neighborhoods, and run a little, walk a little.”


And once it’s all over? “There is nothing like swimming after a 20-mile run. You go to the pool the next day, and it helps your recovery.”


JOE BASTIANICH, 45


This “MasterChef” judge and restaurateur (Becco, Del Posto, Eataly) knows the importance of carb-loading before a big run.


“I do something like carbonara with egg whites, a little bit of pancetta for flavor, onions and some sort of spaghetti,” says Bastianich. “Instead of yolks, I use the egg white, so it’s rich but not quite as heavy.”


He’s running for the Robin Hood Foundation, which aims to end poverty in New York. “It’s an incredibly powerful charity,” he says.


Bastianich has a plan for when he feels he should slow down. “When I need a little inspiration, I run up next to the sidewalk where hopefully I get recognized,” he says. “It’s great when people shout your name.”


His favorite part of the course? “I love running through the short part of Queens, because I was born and raised in Queens,” Bastianich says.


After the race, Bastianich doesn’t recover like other athletes. “I don’t do ice baths or any of that crap,” he says. “I drink beer.”


npesce@nydailynews.com



No comments:

Post a Comment