Mary V. Rosado
As the oldest of ten, Mary V. Rosado learned early that she liked to be in charge. Growing up in East Harlem, she took her role as eldest child seriously, and eventually transferred those skills to running.
“I did a ton of sports in high school, but track wasn’t offered. It wasn’t until I got into Columbia Law School in the mid 1970s that I came to running. I just figured I didn’t want to be sitting on my butt for that many hours a day, so I decided to try it.”
Running was an inexpensive and easy way to keep moving, though Mary learned the hard way that running in her high school Converse sneakers at age 29 wasn’t wise.
“That was my introduction to the world of running. I was directed to a running store and bought my first pair of running shoes.”
Her law school runs led to her first marathon, the New York City Marathon, in 1978. This was followed by twelve more marathons as she progressed through a running career combined with a thirty-plus-year career as a civil litigator. Her skills as an attorney also propelled her to activism on behalf of masters women runners to be included in major race events.
In 2018, Mary was elected as Justice of the Supreme Court for New York State. At the time, her competitive days were behind her, but she’d transitioned to active involvement in the USATF Masters Committee. It’s a role she still values today. Every other year, Mary serves as Team Manager for the Track and Field World Masters Association Championships. This allows her to travel around the world to the event, wherever it may be. Most recently, she took a contingent of masters runners to South Korea.
As for her own future in running, Mary has her sights set on many more miles ahead.
“Getting back to running once I retired in 2025 has always been the goal. I got a hip replacement in June, but I’m doing strength training and everything possible to get myself as strong as possible.”
She also points to the diversity in running as an inspiration.
“As a Puerto Rican, it was hard in my early days of running to never see anyone else who looked like me. But now, there’s so much diversity in running. You see people of all nationalities and races.”
Johanna Garton is a Denver-based sportswriter, author, writing retreat owner, and high school cross-country coach. She has written three books, including the running narrative All in Stride: A Journey in Running, Courage and the Search for the American Dream. She’s also a 23-time marathoner who’s never quite sure if there’s just one more in her legs. You can follow Johanna on Instagram at @johannagartonbooks, or visit her at johannagarton.com
