Why Do Marathons Make Me Cry?

It’s physical exhaustion, sure. But that’s only part of it.

Illustration: Adrian Forrow

I cried my way across the New York City Marathon finish line. I wasn’t in pain. Things hurt, sure, but that wasn’t the source of my tears. Instead, I was overwhelmed by a sense of joy and accomplishment. A sense of freedom from months, and even years, of regimented training. The realization that my body is a gift…