Andres Vega is lacing up for the TCS New York City Marathon this weekend with a four-hour finish in his sights, a goal built on months of training and a recovery journey that started with a nudge during rehab to go run with strangers. He struggled with alcohol from age 16 to 29, and he says those group runs are the reason he's still sober today.
Vega is one of nine runners tackling the 26.2-mile course as part of Back on My Feet, a national nonprofit that pairs running with housing and employment support for people experiencing homelessness and addiction, according to PIX11. He was encouraged to join the group while in rehab, and he committed to running with the team three days a week. What began as a coping tool turned into something closer to a lifeline, and he now credits those runs with helping him stay sober, telling the outlet that alcohol is no longer a problem for him.
A Four-Hour Goal After a Five-Hour Finish
This isn't Vega's first time running the five boroughs. He previously finished the marathon in about five hours, and this time he's hoping to shave a full hour off that mark. Per PIX11's reporting, he said he did a lot of training this year, the product of months of preparation ahead of race day.
Back on My Feet, the organization behind Vega's turnaround, describes its mission as using the power of running, community and support services to help members experiencing homelessness and addiction achieve self-sufficiency, according to its own site, Back on My Feet. Members who commit to running three days a week also gain access to workshops, personalized support and a one-on-one mentor. The organization operates in 14 cities nationwide and says it has served more than 15,000 people experiencing or at risk of homelessness since 2007, with members collectively logging over 950,000 miles and landing more than 10,000 jobs and homes in that span.
Leadership and Sponsors Weigh In
Back on My Feet CEO Nathan Watt said the experience helps members rebuild self-worth, self-esteem and self-confidence, giving them a reason to believe they can accomplish anything, per the same PIX11 account. That framing lines up with the organization's own stated direction: its 2025 impact report says it is expanding direct support and personalized coaching while increasing financial assistance for barriers like housing transitions and employment-readiness costs, according to the Back on My Feet 2025 Impact Report. The same report notes the group strengthened pathways to employment and housing last year, with members completing distances ranging from 5Ks to full marathons.
Sock brand Bombas is backing this year's group of runners, providing socks and training gear as part of what the company calls its 12th year partnering with Back on My Feet, the station reports. Bombas Vice President of Impact Kelly Cobb said donations should meet the specific needs of the people the organization supports, a philosophy reflected in gear aimed squarely at runners logging serious training miles. Beyond formal sponsors, Back on My Feet also relies on everyday volunteers, with tens of thousands of recreational runners nationally serving as guides and running companions for members, according to Running Insight.
Advice for Anyone on the Fence
Vega's message to anyone hesitant to take that first step is simple: just take it and do it, he said. For him, that step started on a group run and turned into a marathon bid years later, proof he points to that you can do anything once you start moving.
