Local runner Oddy Grullon has said she is “exhausted,” but motivated after having completed the first of four marathons she will be running to raise funds for the Cayman Islands Crisis Centre.
Grullon, who is an assault survivor, ran the Revel Big Cottonwood Marathon in Salt Lake City, Utah on Saturday kicking off her journey to help raise $15,000 for the centre.
She said the race was well organised and it was a great experience, but “it was very tough.”
“The weather was nice, but of course the day of the race was very, very cold at the start line. I was [freezing]. I can say it was less than 40 degrees… But it got better while you were going down[hill]. At the end of the race it was not too hot, but more [chilly.] It was hard… it was a tough marathon,” she told the Cayman Compass in a telephone interview.
Earlier this year, Grullon was attacked while out on a morning run in South Sound.
That case is now before the courts and a 26-year-old man is facing charges.
She shared that running the race on the weekend was as empowering as it was grueling.
“The altitude is over 9,000 feet and the downhill [is] crazy and then uphill and then downhill again. So it really makes your legs work. But I was just pushing myself and saying all the time ‘do not stop, do not stop… just keep running even if it’s slow, just keep running… you know that you have a lot of people watching you so you have to do well and don’t give up’,” she said.
Grullon crossed the finish line in a time of 3:38:43, a great accomplishment by any measure.
The fact that Cayman does not have hills meant that training for the undulating course was more difficult, but looking back on the experience, she said it was worth it.
Grullon has created a fundraising page for the Crisis Centre and she has already raised nearly $3,000.
“I’m happy that people are starting supporting me so early, but I need more. I need to raise $15,000 and I need to do it before December – exactly the time that the Cayman Marathon finishes. So please come and support me, support Cayman Crisis Centre…. we need the money,” she said.
Next up is the Chicago Marathon on 9 Oct., the New York Marathon on 6 Nov., and she is culminating the effort with the Walkers Cayman Islands Marathon on 4 Dec.
“It is 26 miles but four [marathons]… it is not easy, but I have to do it for the women out there, to raise awareness,” she said.
Grullon has secured full sponsorship for all four marathons through Walkers, AMR Consulting Engineers, Mykonos restaurant, Citco and her employer Kirk Freeport.
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