She will remain forever for her family and friends as a remarkable person. “She really was amazing”, they say.
Joy had been a former physical education teacher and coach for many years. Her husband died 15 years ago. Her presence at the New York marathon was not unusual. “She never really ran to compete, she ran because she loved it” said to journalists her younger daughter Diana Boydston. This has been already the 25th consecutive time she finished the race, beginning from 1991. Her relatives, including her three children in life (of four) say that Joy was very happy at this point in her life.
The organizers of the New York Road Runners marathon publicly transmitted their entire regret and compassion for her death: “She finished her 25th on Sunday and she was such an inspiration to us all” said the spokesman.
The most emotional fact in those circumstances is that Joy used to say often “I want to die running.”
