On Nov. 2, Meredith Casey will lace up her Brooks running shoes, put on a purple and white jersey, tie her hair back with a big pink bow and run 26.2 miles through the city’s five boroughs to complete the 2025 New York City Marathon.
For most runners, the TCS NYC Marathon is a once-in-a-lifetime challenge. For one Bronx third-grade teacher, it’s a triumph decades in the making. For her, it’s a celebration of perseverance, family legacy and the power of determination.
“ I’m just so nervous, but I’m also so excited,” said Casey, who teaches at P.S. 103 Hector Fontanez in Wakefield. “Not every person gets this opportunity and I’m just so beyond grateful.”
Casey says she uses running as a way to clear her mind and help release stress.
“ I would go run and I would just feel so much better,” she said. “It’s kind of like my mind would be so tense and then once I’m done running it’s like I let it all out.”
Casey worked hard to become an athlete, overcoming unique obstacles that would have kept many from reaching their goals. Born premature, at just under 3 pounds, Casey grew up with a host of medical complications because her body had only a fraction of the time to develop as most healthy babies.
Those early challenges might have slowed some, but for Casey, they became the foundation of what would she says is a lifelong commitment to resilience. The physical therapies that helped her take her first steps would eventually lead her to the 26.2 miles she’s set to run for the world’s most famous marathon.
“ I know what it’s like to struggle and to be the outsider,” she said. “ I got made fun of and stuff in middle school and high school, but I just kept pushing.”
Casey says she’s fortunate to have access to therapy and medical care that helped her develop strength and skills necessary to succeed.
As a child, Casey wore braces around her legs and went through extensive physical therapy to learn to walk, run and play like other kids. She also went through therapy for speech and emotional development. Casey said it was thanks to a team of supportive which inspired her to become the educator and athlete she is today.
She said that the team of professionals and teachers who encouraged her to never give up also inspired her to do the same for her own students.
“I know they need me,” Casey said. “But as much as they need me; I need them.”
She was especially inspired by her high school track coach Henry Leone, who Casey said always encouraged her passion for running and even helped her with a training program for the NYC Marathon.
Now, Casey is one of 50 educators selected to run the TCS New York City Marathon as part of Team TCS Teachers, a national contest recognizing inspiring educators who embody perseverance through NYC Marathon sponsor Tata Consultancy Services. With hundreds of teachers applying for one of the sponsored spots, Casey once again defied odds to make her “bucket list” dream come true.
Running has always been part of Casey’s family story. Her mother, Pamela Casey and grandmother, Rosemary Ducey, are both passionate runners, though neither ever tackled the marathon themselves. Casey told the Bronx Times that her grandmother is still running, well into her 80s.
For Casey, this race is more than a personal milestone — it’s a symbol of gratitude. For her family’s unwavering support, for her coach’s mentorship and for every therapist who helped her take those early steps.
Reach Sadie Brown at sbrown@schnepsmedia.com or (214) 994-6723. For more coverage, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!
