Over nine thousand runners will cross the finish line at Bushnell Park on Saturday for the Eversource Hartford Marathon. Participants will compete in a marathon, half marathon, a team relay or a charity 5k run.
“We get to celebrate each individual,” said Hartford Marathon Foundation President Josh Miller. “They all have gotten to the finish line with a story, a different journey.”
Nyema Pinkney Cranford from Manchester is one of over 2,000 people who signed up for the sold-out Charity 5K event. She was nominated by the Urban League of Greater Hartford to run as part of the Inspiration Team, a group of runners with inspirational life stories.
Cranford lost her vision in 2007 due to medical side effect.
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“It’s my hope in sharing my story, that someone will be motivated to move off the couch and onto the course,” she said.
After a push from her sister, she joined Achillies International’s Connecticut chapter. The organization works to support and help people with disabilities become athletes. On Saturday, she alongside her sister, who will serve as her guide, will jog and walk 3.1 miles in Hartford.
“We’re sisters, but when it’s time for her to take care of the business, she’s very serious about making sure we can finish and finish strong,” she said.
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Her sister will be tethered to her wrist as she gives vocal cues to Cranford.
“Having a guide is critical, because you could easily misstep,” said Cranford. “Once you start falling, the momentum carries, and you can really get injured.”
Ultimately, Cranford says her goal is to run a half marathon.
“Your course may change, but your ability to navigate it still up to you,” she said. “It’s my hope in sharing my story that someone will be motivate to move off the couch and onto the course.”
