Marcia would never have started running if it had not been for her good friend George Dann who recently passed away in March of this year. She knows if not for him, she would not be doing the sport that has become such a large part of her life. He convinced her to run that mile back in 1994. According to Marcia, "I was very slow, but George didn't care. He stuck it out with me until I finished the mile." Although she was exhausted and physically felt terrible, emotionally she was overjoyed by her accomplishment.

With George as her running partner, Marcia's running sessions increased in intensity. He would talk continuously as they pounded out the miles, while she focused on breathing and getting through the runs. His conversations are what kept her going and her mind off the difficulty of the workouts. After two months of running together, George talked Marcia into entering her first race-the Mountain Goat 10-Miler! He helped prepare her for the race by training with her. On race day Marcia finished the challenging course in a very satisfying 1:40. This first race has become a sentimental favorite.

Marcia credits George with introducing her to running and all she has derived from it including health benefits, increased stamina for longer runs and friendships made along the way. She now averages 30-35 miles a week, unless she is training for a marathon. She does 4-mile runs during weekdays, usually with her long-time running partner and good friend Mickey Piscitelli, who she also trains with for marathons. On weekends, she does a long run of 10-15 miles. Although not her favorite aspect of running, she does manage to incorporate speed work into her routine (whether she likes it or not) by running with her friend Mike Stolicker, who is always picking up the pace.

There are several reasons Marcia runs. Primarily it is for her health. There is also that good feeling and sense of accomplishment when she beats one of her previous times or places in her age group. She enjoys the time she gets to spend with her running partners, especially on longer training runs. She also runs simply because she can and feels privileged that she is able to do so.

Over the years Marcia's times have dropped in many distances. Her current pr's include the 2001 Grunt Run (24:05), the 2001 Boilermaker 15K (1:16:28), the 2002 Cherry Blossom 10-miler (1:25:48), the 2000 Tromptown half-marathon (1:57) as well as the 2001 Ontario Shores Marathon (4:12), where she improved her marathon pr by twenty minutes! She feels she is better at longer distances, but would like to see her 5K time improve. She has set a goal for the year ahead to run a 5K in under twenty four minutes. She is hoping to do that at one of her favorite races, the Willow Bay 5K for Women, where the course is flat and fast.

Marcia works as a Manager for a Fraud Investigation Unit for Medicare. Formerly from Syracuse, she now resides in Clay with her husband Tim, who is quite supportive of her running. He is often on hand to cheer her on. It is most appreciated at marathons, when after such a long, taxing event, he is waiting there at the finish line to congratulate her. When not running, she also enjoys weight training and biking with her husband. They both like spending time at the beach and traveling. They are big Mets fans as well, and make frequent trips to New York City to catch some of the games.