How Marathon Careers Start in the Back Seat of New York's Lead Car

• NY SPORTS
• October 26, 2012, 8:21 p.m. ET

Leading the ING New York City Marathon on Nov. 4 will be celebrity runners lured by thousands of dollars in payouts.

But a less visible recruiting effort will be taking place inside a Nissan Murano cruising just ahead of the women's field. Inside it will be Neely Spence, a 22-year-old professional runner of shorter races. Her presence in the lead car is part of a little-known initiative on the part of New York Road Runners, host of the marathon, to convert shorter-distance athletes to the 26.2-mile event.