North Caldwell Resident Completes NYC Marathon For Daughter

Carol Franklin-Morman woke up Sunday morning determined to complete the New York City Marathon for her daughter and herself — and she did.

At 61 years old, Morman completed the marathon in 5 hours, 19 minutes , which put her on a pace of 12 minuts and 12 seconds per mile. 

The training has been a “journey,” said Morman before the race. And while the native-born Caldwells resident dedicated that the past three years training specifically for Sunday’s 26.2-mile run through New York City, she said the it all began nearly a decade ago. 

At 52 years old, Morman was in no condition to run a marathon. She was overweight and in need of a new knee, she said. In addition to those obstacles, her mother had heart bypass surgery when she was only 58. 

After a surgery to stabilize her knee, she began swimming at the local JCC MetroWest to get in shape, and eventually began competing in triathlon events. Later, a broken ankle confined her to exercising in the swimming pool.

Morman said her journey also involved her daughter Marsha. Diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, a form of inflammatory bowel disease, at the age of 16, Morman’s daughter endured years of hospitals visits and surgeries at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.

The marathon, Morman said, was an opportunity to raise awareness and fundraise for Crohn’s disease.

“I always said, ‘If I ever ran in the marathon, I would raise money for this charity,’” said Morman.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to be able to have the time and the health to train,” said added. “And raising money for charity is the icing on the cake.”

Morman, now a North Caldwell resident, was a part of Team IBD Kids 2013, benefiting Mount Sinai School of Medicine. The team has raised more than $186,000 as of Monday, with Morman fundraising more than $700.

Days before Sunday, Morman was positive about upcoming marathon. She joked that her goal was to complete the entire marathon — sometime before dark. 

“I’m going for it,” said Morman. “It’s been a journey for 10 years brining me to this point.”

For more information about Morman to or donate to her cause, visit http://www.crowdrise.com/carolmorman.