Amy Hastings has spent the last few weeks living a back room of Kim Smith’s apartment. On Sunday, the two will toe the starting line of the ING New York City Marathon vying for a top finish among the elite runners. 

 

Although the status of the marathon was hanging in the balance on Tuesday, Hastings and Smith were able to get out for a run around Central Park, since the New York Road Runners advised against people going into the park. 

 

Hastings lives is originally from Kansas, but has family living in New Jersey without power due to Hurricane Sandy. They will try to watch her run on television and her brother will attempt to drive up from Providence to witness the race in person. 

 

Smith will be warming up with Hastings on race day, but Hastings believes that the two have different styles once the race starts.

 

“(Smith) has the ability to go out really fast and recover during the race and finish strong,” Hastings said. “I am someone where I can really ruin my race within the first few miles if I’m not smart.” 

 

On the line will be prize money for the top American finisher, which adds to the intensity of the race against Smith and other US professionals like Molly Pritz, Julie Culley, and Serena Burla. 

 

This will be Hastings’ third marathon of her career in Houston and Los Angeles. The New York course is different from the two others where she has run 2:27. She predicts that time to translate into 2:29. 

 

“More than any other course, the first half is the first 20 miles and the last half is the 6.2,” Hastings said. “You just have to be careful. I think it’s a course after you do it a couple times you learn it more and more and you are able to race it better. I’m trying to skip ahead a little bit.”

 

After returning from 2012 Summer Olympic Games, Hastings took two weeks off and started fully training once she committed to running New York. The training for this marathon had a shorter build up, because of her participation in London’s 10,000-meter final. 

 

She will continue to run 5,000 and 10,000 meter races, but sees running the marathon at the 2016 Olympic Games as a possibility.

 

“I think the marathon will be my best event, and hopefully in four years that’s what I’ll be doing in Rio,” Hastings said. “But at the same time I think the 5 and the 10 really help with the marathon and vice versa.”

 

After this weekend, Hastings plans on moving back to Kansas and taking time off to figure out what her plan will be going forward.