Marathon Teachers Go the Distance in NYC
By Lauren Roth
The Orange Peal spoke with two OCPS teachers who ran in the TCS NYC Marathon Nov. 6, each following a unique route to pursue this major life achievement.
Rebecca Wesolowski, (at left) Educational Media Specialist at Westpointe ES, earned one of 50 free entry spots for teachers from Tate Consultancy Services, the marathon’s naming sponsor.
Benjamin Tarantur, a CTE career specialist at Windermere HS, secured a guaranteed spot by running for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, ultimately raising $6,315.
Wesolowski, a regular half-marathon runner, only ever wanted to do the NYC Marathon, considered one of six “world marathon majors.” A perfect opportunity came when she got an email about a contest asking teachers to record a one-minute video on why they run. She knows the difference running can make.
“I have been a Girls on the Run coach for 10 seasons to help inspire young ladies to set goals and empower them to think BIG!” Wesolowski said.
A few weeks after sending
her one-minute video, she heard from TCS, which provided her with a training program, VIP accommodations in New York and STEM-based educational resources designed to enhance students’ computational skills and computer science education.
Before she left for the race, Westpointe gave Wesolowski a big send-off. “The whole school surprised me with a Good Luck Parade before I left campus,” she said. “The sound of my Dolphin family chanting is still echoing in my head and helped power me through the five boroughs of New York City!”
She completed the 26.2 mile race, which started with 50,000 runners, in 5 hours, 31 minutes.
Tarantur, by contrast, describes himself as “not a runner per se.” A former smoker, he started running longer distances during the COVID-19 pandemic. With his certified therapy dog, Murray, he has also been volunteering at Give Kids the World in Kissimmee and at nursing homes for several years. Through the work at GKTW, he saw the difference the Memphis, Tenn. St. Jude hospital makes in the lives of terminally-ill children, and he decided to run the TCS NYC Marathon for them.
Murray, a goldendoodle, and Tarantur’s wife, Ellen, accompanied him to New York and provided support.
Although he injured his foot at Mile 5, Tarantur pressed on and completed the race in 7 hours. And he’s not stopping there. He’s already committed to running the Chicago Marathon on Oct. 8, 2023, for St. Jude. He’s just started fundraising for that marathon. To donate, visit
https://tinyurl.com/runbenchicago.