School Bus Fleet
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

School bus driver covers 26.2 miles — on foot

Molly Kirk, a driver for Florida’s Brevard Public Schools, ran the prestigious New York City Marathon in less than five hours. She shares details on the challenging race, which drew more than 47,000 starters this year.

November 22, 2011
School bus driver covers 26.2 miles — on foot

Molly Kirk, a driver for Florida’s Brevard Public Schools, ran the prestigious New York City Marathon in less than five hours.

2 min to read


COCOA, Fla. — Each school day, Brevard Public Schools bus driver Molly Kirk transports high school students on bus 1461.

Kirk, a mother of three daughters — two teenagers and one 12-year-old — enjoys driving her school bus, but she has another interest outside of her job and her family. She runs.

Ad Loading...

Kirk is not a casual jogger. She is a marathon runner, and she recently completed the New York City Marathon, which is considered one of the world’s Top 5 marathons.

“One way to gain entry in the New York City Marathon is through a lottery system,” Kirk said. “I was surprised when I beat the 1 in 9 lottery odds and was chosen on my first try. I was thrilled.”

The marathon was more than just a 26.2-mile journey. Kirk’s day started at 6 a.m., when she met her bus for transport to the race start location. The marathon was scheduled to begin at 10:10 a.m. It was preceded by the national anthem and then a cannon blast to signal the start of the race.

The course began on Staten Island and headed to Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and finally into Central Park in Manhattan.

The sea of runners crossed five bridges, ran through many diverse neighborhoods and was cheered on by more than a million spectators. This was Kirk’s first trip to New York City, so she had plenty of sights to see along the run.

Ad Loading...

“The hardest part,” she said, “was about the 16-mile mark, running up the Queensboro Bridge.”

The New York City Marathon is the world’s largest and perhaps most prestigious marathon, with a record number of 47,438 starters this year.

“I am deeply grateful that I had the privilege of being a part of such a tremendous event,” Kirk said. “The amount of people running for causes and charities was both staggering and inspiring. I was amazed at the size of the huge international field and their supporters that lined the race route and would cheer loudly as their favorites raced past.”

Kirk completed the 26.2-mile run in four hours and 28 minutes, which resulted in her name being listed as a finisher in The New York Times.

Submitted by Mike Connors, director of transportation at Brevard Public Schools.

 

More Management

Graphic showing a U.S. map with New York marked alongside the Zum logo and the text “Zum Expands to New York.”
Managementby News/Media ReleaseAugust 24, 2026

Zum Reaches 19 States With New York Expansion

The addition of the Empire State to the student transportation company's roster marks a growing expansion in the Northeast as it scales its tech and school bus services.

Read More →
A parent uses the FirstView mobile app while helping a student with his backpack, illustrating real-time school transportation tracking and communication.
Managementby News/Media ReleaseAugust 24, 2026

First Student Updates Its Parent App

First View connects both yellow bus and alternative transportation, giving families one platform to track student trips for the new school year, with 15 languages supported.

Read More →
Back-to-school graphic featuring a chalkboard-style background with the text “Back to School: 6 Ways to Plan Ahead” and the School Bus Fleet logo.
ManagementAugust 20, 2026

The Back-to-School Checklist Every Director Should Complete Before the First Bell

Help your transportation team start the school year strong with these tips for contingency planning, communication, fleet visibility, technology, and trip management.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Students with backpacks exit school buses and walk toward a school building as transportation staff assist with afternoon drop-off.
Managementby News/Media ReleaseAugust 19, 2026

How a New York District Cut Nearly $1M in Transportation Costs While Expanding Bus Access

A data-driven overhaul with BusRight reduced Poughkeepsie City School District's planned routes from 26 to 17 while extending school bus service to about 1,200 additional students.

Read More →
A female teacher sitting in front of elementary school classroom, giving a lesson to several students.
SponsoredAugust 17, 2026

Budgets Down, Enrollment Shifting: What the Data Says Districts Should Watch

School transportation departments face two converging challenges this year: tightening budgets and shifting enrollment. Most districts still address these issues separately, but the assumption that either trend will simplify operations is proving incorrect.

Read More →
BusRight-branded image showing students exiting a yellow school bus, with the Inc. 5000 logo recognizing America’s fastest-growing private companies.
Managementby Amanda HuggettAugust 17, 2026

These 8 School Transportation Companies Made the 2026 Inc. 5000 List

Find out which school transportation contractors, technology providers, and suppliers ranked among America’s fastest-growing private companies.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
School Bus Fleet’s The Route podcast thumbnail featuring Kellie Doyle Bailey and host Amanda Huggett with the text “Emotional Intelligence and School Bus Safety.”
ManagementAugust 14, 2026

The Link Between Emotional Intelligence and School Bus Safety

How can emotional intelligence help transportation pros navigate stress, manage change, and build stronger relationships? Listen to find out.

Read More →
School Bus Fleet’s The Route podcast thumbnail featuring Kellie Doyle Bailey and host Amanda Huggett with the text “Emotional Intelligence and School Bus Safety.”
Sponsoredby Amanda HuggettAugust 14, 2026

What Emotional Intelligence Has to Do With School Bus Safety

In this video, discover how emotional intelligence can help transportation leaders and drivers navigate stress, manage change, and build stronger relationships. The Route is sponsored by IC Bus.

Read More →
School transportation professional holding a two-way radio in front of a row of school buses, with PositionPTT radio and communication accessories pictured alongside him.
Managementby Amanda HuggettAugust 13, 2026

Beyond Two-Way Radios: School Bus Communications Evolve With Push-to-Talk Over Cellular

PRYME Radio and PositionPTT join forces to advance hands-free radio use and reduce distracted driving. See how PoC compares with traditional radios on range, cost, safety, and connectivity.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
An orange and white graphic with HopSkipDrive's logo and text reading "Districts Adjusts to Persistent Driver Shortages."
Managementby Elora HaynesAugust 12, 2026

Have School Districts Adapted to Bus Driver Shortages or Simply Accepted Less Service?

According to a recent report from HopSkipDrive, many districts appear to have recalibrated what "normal" transportation service looks like.

Read More →