Brooklyn District 75 Teacher Hopes to Shine Off Broadway by Running NYC Marathon

By Randy Robertson, NYC Regional Storyteller

Brooklyn, NY – Every spring the students at P53K in Brooklyn, also known as the Dominick Della Rocca School for the Arts, put on a high school musical production to entertain the community. As Assistant Director for the musicals, schoolteacher Camryn Kellogg is comfortable being in the middle of the action.

When Kellogg decided to take on the 2026 New York City Marathon to raise funds for Special Olympics New York athletes, she knew what she was getting into.

“I ran the New York City Marathon in 2022, and I finished it and thought I’d never do that again,” Kellogg said. “I started getting FOMO (fear of missing out) last year and now here I am!”

Kellogg teaches in a District 75 classroom comprised mainly of high school age students with autism. The students stay with Kellogg throughout the day, so she gets to teach them all of the academic subjects. Some of Kellogg’s students play for a Special Olympics New York Unified basketball team, and all of them participate in soccer skills events.

For Kellogg, running the marathon to support Special Olympics New York is another opportunity to serve the community. Seeing up close the positive impact that Unified Basketball and soccer skills events have had on her students, Kellogg gladly puts in the training to raise funds for Special Olympics New York.

Running marathons, directing school musicals and teaching in a crowded borough of nearly 3 million people are all quite a contrast to Kellogg’s upbringing in a small town in Wisconsin. But there’s a connecting thread, and that’s Special Olympics.

In her teenage years in Wisconsin, Kellogg volunteered at Special Olympics events frequently. She went on to get an undergraduate degree in teaching special education in Wisconsin and immediately looked East.

“I always wanted to experience New York,” Kellogg said. “I knew about District 75. When I graduated, I learned of an opportunity in Brooklyn and I got that job. That was almost 10 years ago and I never left. Now I love New York City!”

Kellogg will spend many hours on November 1 running along those city streets. The New York City Marathon starts in Staten Island and winds through Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, The Bronx and then back to the finish line in Manhattan’s Central Park. Though the marathon route will not bring Kellogg past the famed Broadway theaters on Sunday, she may find herself singing some familiar musical tunes as she thinks of the students she’s running to support. She’s also aiming to improve on her previous finish time of 5 hours, 3 minutes.

“I want to beat that time and get in under five hours,” Kellogg said. “Training is going well. I know from experience from being there that on race day the adrenaline will really push you along.”

You can help Camryn Kellogg reach the finish line and support the athletes by contributing to Special Olympics New York. – https://events.nyso.org/site/TR/Events/General?pg=personal&px=1797714&fr_id=3561

 

 

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