By MARYAM RAHAMAN
ELMHURST — As Ottilia Demeter biked into an entrance of Victory Field in Forest Park, she quickly realized something was up. Not only were her friends present, but so was former Bachelor star Matt James—with a glass award in hand to give to her.
Over two dozen friends and community members, many from the Forest Park Runners, rushed forth from their hiding spots on the bleachers to congratulate Demeter.
The pleasant ambush celebrated Demeter receiving the New York Road Runners Miles of Impact Award. Presented by the Hospital for Special Surgery, the award honors runners who go beyond training to create an impact in their community, as Demeter has by serving as a coach with the Forest Park Runners, Queens Center for Progress, and Achilles International Queens.
“It’s unbelievable,” Demeter said of what it meant to be recognized in New York for her contributions. “It’s huge getting here from the tiny village in Hungary. I hated running in my previous life. I never thought one day, especially not even when I moved here to New York, I’m gonna end up here getting an award for what I did for the community.”
Demeter began running shortly after she moved to Queens from Hungary over 15 years ago, working hard to overcome the language barrier. She first ran the streets before getting connected with New York Road Runners and building a running community starting there.
Following a brain tumor diagnosis, she ran the 2022 TCS New York City Marathon with a shirt that said “I’m running with a brain tumor. What’s your superpower?”
“I have a very strong will power, I am very determined, and also the running community was what pushed me through some of the hardest parts of my life,” Demeter said regarding what helped her through each roadblock she faced.
Demeter’s story has impacted runners across communities, including Matt James.
“The most inspiring thing if you ever go to a race is to see the participants, seeing what people are sacrificing, what people are going through,” James said. He said Demeter’s story inspired him to get more involved in the community.
“I hope that people seeing Ottilia’s story resonates with something that they’ve been through, and hopefully inspires them to do more.”
Demeter biked in wearing her Forest Park Runners gear, with her jacket reading “Coach Otti” on the back. She says her friends and runners call her a “strict” and sometimes “intimidating” coach, but that she does so because “it’s not for me, it’s for them.”
For her, the proudest moments as a coach are when someone messages her after a race thanking her as a coach and saying that they’ve hit their PR.
In addition to receiving the award, Demeter also was presented with a complimentary entry into the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon by New York Road Runners chief event production office & race director Ted Metellus—to which she replied with cheers of joy for not having to enter the lottery.
“When you show up to a park like this, and members of the community that you see at the road races and the events are genuinely excited and happy to see you, those are the connections that we make,” Metellus said. “We make that connection through all five boroughs, through all of the events that we produce.”
To learn more about the programs and events New York Road Runners puts on, including multiple free opportunities, visit nyrr.org.
“It makes me realize that all that I did for them, it mattered,” Demeter said about being nominated for the award. “They accepted me, they believed in me, and this is actually just a reassurance.”
