The New York Road Runners Selection Committee has invited Bristol resident Paul McNamara and Richard Myers of Piney Flats to participate in the Empire State Building Run-up Race in New York City.
Thirty nine year old McNamara is a physical education teacher at Sullins Academy and a Virginia Intermont Alumnus and former Cobras soccer player. Myers, a forty-two year old plumbing contractor, and McNamara will run the race on February 3rd, 2009. The race includes 1, 576 steps for a total of 86 stories. The stairwell is 40 inches wide.
Physically and logistically, this was a tough event to train for. Working out on a stair climber or running steep hills does not provide the runners the same workout as actually running stairs. McNamara and Myers have been training for the race at the Holiday Inn on Linden Drive. The hotel has 10 stories, requiring the runners to repeat the 10 stories up to 16 times. In addition to the Holiday Inn, the runners have trained at a 20 story facility in Knoxville, Tennessee.
McNamara says, “Richie and I are honored to have been selected for this challenging race. The students at Sullins Academy are as excited as we are. I hope that my students realize that fitness is not just for your school years. We would also like to thank our Sullins family for their support.” Myers stated, “It is nice to see how all the students at Sullins Academy look up to Paul. This seems like a good way to show the students how you can set goals, work hard, and then go for it! I have enjoyed this experience and the intensity of the training. I’m glad Paul invited me to train with him for this event.”
Both McNamara’s daughter, Claire, and Myers’s daughter, Skye, attend Sullins Academy
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