Elise Fernandez: From the Mile to the Marathon

Photo by MarathonFoto.

Elise Fernandez’s running journey began on her 9th birthday, when she ran the 2013 5th Avenue Mile youth race, now a Rising New York Road Runners event.

More than a decade later, Elise ran the 2024 TCS New York City Marathon.

“I was a competitive dancer growing up and I never really found enjoyment in running,” said Elise, 20, of Dumont, NJ. Late last year, though, she decided she wanted to run the TCS New York City Marathon, and she started training consistently in January.

“My parents were shocked because I never had any interest before, but they were very excited,” she said.

Elise comes from a family of runners, including her dad, aunt, uncles, and several cousins. “I grew up surrounded by running."

She ran her first half marathon with her aunt in April. “[She] would always check in on me, hold me accountable for my runs, and give me tips for everything," she said.

Elise also found support with WilPower Fitness, a New York/New Jersey–based team founded to help runners prepare for the TCS New York City Marathon. Her dad and aunt are members, and Elise joined the team for long runs.

“Going out to the team runs is a great way to be held accountable,” she said.

Elise said she “basically trained the entire year” for the marathon and set a goal to cross the finish line and feel good doing it.

“My coach told me to smile the entire time during the marathon, and I did,” she said. “I wanted to enjoy the marathon, because I knew I would not get a first marathon experience again.”

Only when she looked at her phone after finishing and saw a flood of congratulatory texts did Elise truly appreciate her accomplishment.

“I stopped for a second, looked at the finish line, and realized I completed something that was bigger than myself,” she said. “It was definitely one of the best things I have ever experienced.”

She added: “The support I got from family, friends, co-workers, teammates, and so many others from start to finish also made this race feel ten times more meaningful.”

Being surrounded by a running community throughout her life, even when she wasn’t active in the sport herself, had an impact.

“[Running] has given me a community that has supported me so much,” she said. “When I graduated high school and stopped dancing, I was not doing much to stay active. Running has become a great way for me to stay active, and running races has been a great way to challenge myself and hold myself accountable.”