New York Marathon is walk in the (Central) Park for board member Andrea’s fundraiser

This is my tenth marathon, but no other has started quite as spectacularly! Nothing beats getting on the Staten Island ferry at 6.30am, sailing past the Statue of Liberty on the way to the start line.

As we lined up at the start, a vocalist gave a rendition of the US national anthem, a huge canon sounded, and we were off! The route took us across five bridges and through five boroughs – Staten Island, Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx and Manhattan – before finishing in Central Park.

At times the route was tough. It was quite hilly in some places – especially after a day or two of sightseeing beforehand! – but the crowds really carried us along during those harder moments.

I’ve never seen anything like the public support at the New York City Marathon. Bands, drummers, bagpipers and cheering fans lined the streets and spurred us along. The signs held up were hilarious, and I was even offered a beer by one enthusiastic onlooker!

Being Halloween weekend, there were some incredible costumes on display – even more in the crowd than there were in the race itself!

The event broke the world record for the largest ever marathon, with 59,000 participants. Of those only 1,971 were from the UK, with over 132 countries represented in the field. That made us – in our Scotland tops and tartan skirts – really stand out, and the race volunteers and spectators were so supportive. Even the police were cheering us on.

Crossing the finish line, hand-in-hand with Rebecca, was an amazing experience. I finished in 4:57, which is quicker than my first marathon 28 years ago in London – so I’m delighted with that!

We had met some people at the Halloween parade the night before who had two extra tickets for the grandstand at the finish (tickets for that are like hen’s teeth) so my husband Gordon and daughter Jessica were able to be at the finish to cheer for us. Seeing Gordon waving the Saltaire and Jessica high fiving us right at the end was really emotional.

We crossed the finish line, got our medals and kept walking… and it was only then that the reality of what we had achieved sank in. People around us were hugging and crying and it was the most incredible feeling in the world.

That night we went to a party organized by Sports Tours International in Times Square and celebrated with lots of other marathon runners, including quite a few who we have followed on Instagram for years. It was great to be able to meet them face-to-face.

The next day – Medal Monday – the celebration continued. The city was full of celebration, as happy marathon finishers got photos at all the most famous landmarks with their medals. The camaraderie and party atmosphere was amazing.

To go to the heart of the theatre world, on the doorstep of Broadway, and take part in the world’s biggest marathon is an experience I’ll never forget. That we have been able to raise funds to help keep our own theatre – Aberdeen Arts Centre – operational is the icing on the cake.

Performing on stage and running have a lot in common: training and rehearsals both serve the same purpose, to prepare you for your big performance; and the euphoric feeling of crossing the finish line is just like taking your bows at the end of a show.

We later found out that Jordan Litz, who plays Fiyero in Wicked, ran the marathon and went straight into two performances that same day… he must share the same sentiment!

Now that it’s all over, the tiredness is setting in – but every single mile was worth it. We’re thrilled with how much we have raised for the Save Aberdeen Arts Centre campaign, but there’s always room for more donations!

So if anyone reading this has even just a couple of pounds they can spare, please consider donating to keep the spotlight shining on your creative community.