It's all go for I\Ymarathon bid Kate Davidson Not even a hurricane can stoP Nelson woman Tanya McMnrtrie from running the New York Marathon on Sunday. Miss McMru1rie,41, was due to run the marathou last Year until Ilurricane Sandy wreaked havoc in New York and the annual race was cancelled for the first time since its beginnings in 1970. Not one to be deterred, Miss McMurtrie will be in New York fbr the second time to finallY give the prestigious 42km event a go. Miss McMurtrie has not alwaYs been a long-dlstance runner - she only started running five Years ago and ran her first marathon aged 38. She believes anyone can do a marathon if they Put their mind to it. "I was looking for some cardio exercise so one day I Put on a Pair' of ninning shoes and ran for 15 m inutes and ttever looked back," she said. "I am not built like a runner so if I can mn a marathon anyone can." After tralning lor five months she is feeling confident and "very excited, but verr', very nervous as n'e]1". She said al] the uen'es would disappear as soon as the gun was fireil on fhe start line then it was up to focuslng her rnind to keep hr:r bod5'going in what was att "80 per cent" mental race. She feels more prepared now than thls tjme iast year as she "had a snippet" ofwhat the race would be like and the support on hand when she was in New York last year. When the marathon was cancelled she and two other Kiwis Comed their mnning gear for a jog through Central Park. Thousands ofother runners had the same idea. "New Yorkers were handing out water [and] we were branded up in our gear. People were yelling ortt 'Go Kiwis'." she said. Miss McMurtri.e hripes to complete the marathon in four hours, but with 47,000 other competitors in the race her ability to set her o\,TI pace cortld be difflcult. She has self-funded both her efforts while also fundraising for the Nelson branch of Big Brothers Rig Sisters, a one-on-one mentoring programme for young people, which she volunteers for. She suppotts the mentoring progxamme as she had "really ""t"\ \- % ****e :#-' Shoes ready: Tanya McMurtrie of Nelson is set to run the New York Marathon on Sunday lantastic role models" grou'ing np and believes it is important tbr today's -voung people to have similar mentors. "I have been matched with mY girl for three or four years and have a gleat relationship with the girl and her mum. I'm verY lr.rck-v," she said. ASB Bank, where Miss McMutrie works as a wealth marlager'. donated $750 last year to Photo: N4ARTIN Dt i?UYTr.R/FAIRFAX N the cause aud has ckrne tire same this year. N'liss N{cNlr.rrlrie has rzrised about $5000 tiver the iast two years - all of which has gone to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ne1sc,rn.