SOMERS, N.Y. - About 10 years ago, Kamil Duzynski watched the New York City Marathon and decided he wanted to run the iconic race. So he entered, trained, and after pushing through the infamous 18-mile wall to reach the finish line, collapsed to the ground in exhaustion.
But after getting back up, his mindset changed.
“I was already thinking of the next one,” he said.
Following through on that thought, the Somers dad eventually found himself with company on a journey that extended far beyond 26.2 miles.
His wife, Agata, got hooked too, and after completing her first marathon, the couple went on to finish all six World Marathon Majors. London was the final stop.
“I didn’t cry, but with all the emotions I was so happy to finish,” she said.
Neither had much running experience before. The couple met in college in Poland, and years later Kamil was swept up by the electric atmosphere surrounding the New York City Marathon.
“I wanted to be one of those guys running to see if I’m going to be able to finish to the cheers,” he explained.
At first, Kamil figured it would be a one-time accomplishment.
“I thought I’m going to run this marathon and stop,” he said.
That wasn't the case.
“There was no stopping the momentum,” Agata said. “It’s the adrenaline.”
For her, though, getting started required a major lifestyle change.
“I was the worst couch potato ever,” Agata admitted.
Then daughters Julia and Kaya Duzynski became involved in running, and spending so much time around the sport began to rub off on their mother. When Julia asked her to run a 5K, Agata accepted the challenge. Surrounded by 20,000 cheering spectators, she quickly caught the bug.
“I want to do it again,” she remembered thinking.
By April 2022, she had set an even bigger goal.
“I’m going to do anything I can to run the NYC Marathon next year,” Agata said.
She trained, reached the starting line, and cruised through the first 20 miles.
“I stuck to my planned pace, and seeing familiar faces—especially my husband and my girls—gave me an extra boost of energy,” Agata recalled.
Then the proverbial cinderblocks arrived.
“I really started to struggle,” she said.
Still, she kept digging.
“I kept reminding myself that this was exactly what I had trained so hard for. When I finally reached Central Park, I got a huge burst of energy,” Agata said. “The moment I crossed the finish line and received my medal, I was so happy that I forgot instantly about the pain.”
Boston came next, but after that Kamil was content with the races he had completed. Agata had another idea.
“Maybe we could do the six major marathons,” she suggested. “We can travel around the world and see some sites.”
After a 17-hour trip to Tokyo, they found a course with fewer hills than New York. Even so, the race presented its own challenges.
“I was crying and going and going until the finish,” Agata said. “I flew so much and got there with a lot of effort. So I had to do it.”
London wasn't any easier.
“I don’t even remember the last two and a half miles,” Agata lamented.
Kamil finished ahead of his wife, but he knew she was battling through the closing miles. Watching her cross the finish line became his favorite moment of the day.
“I was more happy for her than me,” he said.
Despite completing marathons in Tokyo, London, Berlin, Chicago and Boston, neither believes anything compares to running in New York.
“It’s the crowds. People are everywhere,” Kamil said.
With Sydney now joining the World Marathon Majors, the Duzynskis have no shortage of future opportunities. For now, though, they're looking forward to the day their daughters have finished their collegiate running careers so the family can hit the road together again.
“I’m hoping they are both going to be faster than me,” Kamil concluded.
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