On Sunday, 30,000 runners will take part in the United Airlines NYC Half Marathon and one of those incredible runners is a nurse from New York who's training while also fasting for Ramadan.

Safi Diagana is 26 years old.

"I am an alumna of Run for the Future, a great program for women and girls to get into the sport of running, it was something I never thought I would do and here I am running because I love to do it," Diagana added.

Diagana has been running for more than eight years now.

She is an NYU grad who just started working as a nurse and is fired up to run on her favorite landmark along the 13.1-mile run.

"Going through the Brooklyn Bridge, which I am a huge fan of," Diagana said. "If you know as a New Yorker, it's always crowded, but for the first time it'll be empty."

Empty except for all of the other runners.

One of the challenges other than the 13.1 miles is that Diagana's training in the month of Ramadan, which means no eating from sunrise to sundown.

She still gets runs in though during the day. She hopes to get back to her regular schedule after Ramadan which means running about three times a week.

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"I'll take my sneakers and go for a run, I'll put my phone on DND because I don't want any phone calls, any texts that might distract me to go back, I just want to go as fast as i can," Diagana said.

Who has she surprised the most, with her love of running? She said other than her cat--maybe herself.

Her dad also has been a positive influence.

"He's always been the one who encouraged us to go out to the park and play," Diagana said.

"Just do it just do it, run for the future, applications are open now, so please go do it, encourage young women and girls around you to apply for it," Diagana said.

ABC 7 New York is a proud sponsor of the United Airlines NYC Half. You will be able to watch live streaming coverage of the event on abc7NY.com, our mobile and connected TV apps, and social media platforms on Sunday, March 15, starting at 7 a.m.

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