8 The Courier sun • MAY 5 , 2016 for breaking news visit www.qns.com THE COURIER/Photos by Josef Pinlac THE FIRST QUEENS MARATHON WAS FULL OF GREAT EMOTIONAL MOMENTS By IT’S IN QUEENS @itsinqueens They came from near and far to run a long distance. The inaugural Queens Marathon kicked off in Flushing Meadows Corona Park on the morning of April 30. The race took participants on four loops through the public green space, going around soccer fields, past cultural venues, and along playgrounds as spectators, regular parkgoers, and about 100 volunteers cheered them on. The winner in the male category was Brooklyn resident Charles Remillard, who finished the 26.1- mile trek in 2:35.25. Richmond Hill’s Catherine Chua took top honors among women with a 3:01.52 time. Meanwhile, John Liu, a former City Council member from Flushing who also served as City Comptroller, came in 77th place with a 4:02.42 time. But the day’s most emotional moment came when Jenny Hwang crossed the finish line among loud cheers at 6:36.11. As she is legally blind, she ran with volunteers from Achilles International, a nonprofit that enables people with disabilities to participate in mainstream sports events. The marathon, which had 294 registrants, was an official qualifier for next year’s Boston Marathon. Harriers came from as far away as Canada, Vermont, South Carolina, and even the Asian country Myanmar. It was organized by Queens Distance Runners, a club that organizes races of varying lengths around the borough. Queens Distance Runners President Kevin Montalvo said that he will definitely spearhead an effort for a second Queens Marathon in 2017. “Next year, we will commit to getting even more volunteers and spectators out to Flushing Meadows to make the sequel of the Queens Marathon even better,” he said.
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