Happy Story

They Were Addicted to Opioids. Now They’re Running the New York Marathon.

The sport “replaces the adrenaline that I was looking for when I was using drugs,” says a member of the running team at the Odyssey House rehabilitation center.

By William Shannon

“I like the way I feel after a run,” Ms. Stevens said. “I may not want to start running. At the beginning I’m like, ‘I really don’t want to go for this run,’ to be honest. But then I know how I’m going to feel afterward.

“It replaces the adrenaline that I was looking for when I was using drugs.”

The team, he said, has given him a drive that transcends the time he spends in sneakers.

“It’s also transferable to everything else I do in life,” Mr. Kane said. “The hard work, the perseverance, the dedication it takes to run a marathon can cross over into your everyday life — as far as setting a goal, working toward that goal and achieving that goal.”

The runners are keenly aware that exercise, while helpful, is not a cure-all for their demons.