Ridloff has been running most of her life – a form of solace in the busiest, most intense periods of her acting career. But the collective spirit and struggle of her fellow competitors at the NYC Marathon, her first time racing the 26.2-mile distance, was like nothing she had previously experienced in the sport. “This truly was a transformative experience for me,” Ridloff, whose recent credits include Marvel Studios’ “Eternals” and post-apocalyptic TV series “The Walking Dead,” tells CNN Sport. Gavin Doremus/Brooks RunningConditions for this year’s NYC Marathon were brutal, particularly for those competing for the first time and unaccustomed to running in heat. Ridloff ran the NYC Marathon to raise money for PS347 in New York, where she used to teach.

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