The 52nd iteration of the New York City Marathon saw thousands of people participate in the event. While the first person to finish the race always holds the most significance, this time, even the last finisher carries a lot of weight. In fact, the last person to finish the race may have very well shown the most grit and determination in the NYC Marathon.

Bette Clark is a long-distance running athlete who has been running for 20 years now. The marathon runner recently finished in the last position in the New York City Marathon. Despite this, finishing the race was a major milestone for Bette Clark for a reason beyond sport.

A story of resilience at the New York City Marathon

Bette Clark is a breast cancer survivor. In fact, Clark stands strong at the age of 68 and participates in almost every long-distance event. She picked up long-distance running as one of her greatest friends. Clark, a psychologist by profession, says that running has proven to be very therapeutic for her mental health. Thus, it didn’t matter to Clark that she was the last finisher of the New York City Marathon. Clark completed the race in 13:11:48 and finished in the 51,290th position, according to NYRR. 

Trending

Shedeur Sanders Becomes the “Laughing Stock” of College Football as He Ignores NFL Legend’s Advice to Target Gavin Kuld

May 18, 2024 02:10 PM EDT

Patrick Mahomes’ Lesser Known Sibling Hid Her Relationship With Chiefs Star; Mom Randi Revealed Mia’s Private Life in 2021

May 19, 2024 05:13 PM EDT

Dana White & UFC Miss Out on $1.38 Billion Worth Achievement as Conor McGregor Awfully Falls Short of 3-Year-Old Feat

May 18, 2024 01:21 PM EDT

Mom Randi Defends Son Patrick Mahomes as Chiefs Dragged Through Mud Due to Harrison Butker, Wanya Morris & Jason Godrick’s Controversies

May 18, 2024 05:57 PM EDT

“Lost That Advantage…Won’t Be Special” – Joe Rogan Gives Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Narrated Reality Check for Young MMA Fighters

May 19, 2024 11:49 AM EDT

Get instantly notified of the hottest Olympics stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

Clark started running at the age of 48. Despite her very late start, she has become an active admirer of distance running and the endorphins it fills her with. The determined athlete started her marathon journey with the very race she recently finished, the New York City Marathon. This was back in 2005 when she qualified for the Boston Marathon due to her NYC performance. Unfortunately, this was also the year when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Instead of feeling down, Clark asked her oncologist, “Will I be able to run Boston in April?” 

While her treatment left her very weak and she couldn’t compete in Boston, she still visited her running group. The 68-year-old has come a long way now and is a regular at anything marathon. While she can undertake all her ambitious endeavors, she still has an important message for women. 

Bette Clark and her message to women

When Bette Clark was shown her diagnosis report that spelled breast cancer, she wasn’t very surprised. After all, her mother had the same terminal illness which resulted in her untimely demise at the young age of 35. The then 4-year-old Clark had always been cautious about developing breast cancer herself when she grew up.

Despite taking regular mammogram scans, her results always came out clean. But, the disease struck hard after some time and very quickly subjugated 13 of her lymph nodes. Addressing all women, Clark said in an interview, “It’s really important for women to know their own bodies and check things out that feel different.”

History Hanging In the Balance at New York City Marathon 2023

Fortunately, the rumor in her body got treated, and she takes even greater care of herself now. She has also joined hands with several bodies aiding women with breast and ovarian cancer. By stepping forward with her story and active participation, she has turned into a crusader for women’s cancer treatment. When not taking helpline calls and conducting support group discussions, Clark goes out and indulges in soul-enriching running sessions. 

WATCH STORY – Not Getting Ready for a Marathon After Bashing Michael B Jordan’s Workout Exercise Scientist Fumes Over Gal Gadot’s Trainer Recommended Workout Regime.