My Profile
@CharlesNYC
New York, NY Raving since 2024 50 States hopeful/finisher Active 7 months, 2 weeks agoAbout Me
My Races
Organize, track & review your races and personal bests here.
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Half Marathon
Marathon
Ultramarathon
(Marathon or Ultra) + Half
Marathon + Ultra
Other
Future Races
Personal Bests (2)
| Race | Distance | Location | Date | Result |
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| Eugene Marathon | Marathon | Eugene, OR | Apr 28, 2024 | 3:15:32 |
| T-Town Half Marathon | Half Marathon | Tulsa, OK | Mar 30, 2024 | 1:34:36 |
Future Races (0)
| Race | Distance | Location | Date | Paid |
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Past Races (12)
| Race | Distance | Location | Date | Result | My Raves | My Performance |
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| TCS New York City Marathon | Marathon | Staten Island, NY | Nov 2, 2025 | 3:18:52 |
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| Prairie Fire Marathon | Half Marathon | Wichita, KS | Oct 12, 2025 | 1:36:10 |
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| Sioux Falls Marathon & Half Marathon | Half Marathon | Sioux Falls, SD | Sep 21, 2025 | 1:35:27 |
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| Fargo Marathon | Half Marathon | Fargo, ND | May 30, 2025 | 1:34:38 |
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| Boston Marathon | Marathon | Hopkinton, MA | Apr 21, 2025 | 3:19:13 |
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| Louisiana Marathon | Half Marathon | Baton Rouge, LA | Jan 19, 2025 | 1:36:32 |
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| Keesler Federal Mississippi Gulf Coast Marathon | Half Marathon | Biloxi, MS | Dec 14, 2024 | 1:35:48 |
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| Des Moines Marathon | Half Marathon | Des Moines, IA | Oct 20, 2024 | 1:39:50 |
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| Gulf Beach Half Marathon | Half Marathon | Milford, CT | Sep 14, 2024 | 1:51:03 |
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| Tacoma Narrows Half Marathon | Half Marathon | Tacoma, WA | Aug 10, 2024 | 1:36:42 |
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| Eugene Marathon | Marathon | Eugene, OR | Apr 28, 2024 | 3:15:32 |
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| T-Town Half Marathon | Half Marathon | Tulsa, OK | Mar 30, 2024 | 1:34:36 |
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TCS New York City Marathon
Nothing Like It!
TCS New York City Marathon
2025 was the 4th time I ran NYC, and it was best time for NYC, and my second best for the 10 marathons I have run. I even (surprisingly) beat … MORE
2025 was the 4th time I ran NYC, and it was best time for NYC, and my second best for the 10 marathons I have run. I even (surprisingly) beat my Boston time!
NYC is the toughest marathon I have ever run. It has 5 bridges and a big hill at the end. However, the crowd support is truly amazing, and there is no greater feeling (except for the Boston finish) than crossing that finish line in Central Park. The medal this year, which contained a replica of the course’s elevation gain was stylish, clever, and sophisticated. The weather was a tad warmer than it was last year, but nothing like the notoriously warm 2022 weather.
Now, the downside:
Aside the elevation, which is the be expected, the NYC is WAY TOO crowded nowadays. Over 59K runners raced it this year. Even though I started in Wave 1, I found myself zig zagging around people for quite a number of miles. There is a bottleneck when you leave the Verrazano and enter Brooklyn. Even at some of the later stages, I found myself elbowing against other runners. The NYRR really needs to do something about the amount of runners they allow today.
All in all, a truly unique experience. When I crossed the finish line, Bill and Hillary Clinton were there (their daughter Chelsea was running it for what I believe was the third time). But, the course is, unfortunately, much too crowded.
Prairie Fire Marathon
Overall Decent Half, Mostly Flat
Prairie Fire Marathon
- The weather was warmer than usual, but of course, that is not the fault of the race. - Getting the bib was pretty simple, especially since it was in … MORE
– The weather was warmer than usual, but of course, that is not the fault of
the race.
– Getting the bib was pretty simple, especially since it was in the same
location where the race started and finished.
– It was pretty cool to finish inside the Equity Bank Park Stadium
– The course was quite flat exception for maybe two inclines, nothing too
bad.
– Not a lot of crowds, the course was rather boring, and there were no mile
markers for the first few miles.
– The medal given was very nice. However, the rabbit depicted in the medal
was upside down!
Sioux Falls Marathon & Half Marathon
Very Average Half Marathon Experience
Sioux Falls Marathon & Half Marathon
ND was state #27 on my 50 state half marathon experience. While it wasn't as warm as I thought it would be, it wasn't ideal race weather, either. There were … MORE
ND was state #27 on my 50 state half marathon experience.
While it wasn’t as warm as I thought it would be, it wasn’t ideal race weather, either. There were more turns and elevation than I expected.
One mishap: I was given a full marathon bib instead of a full, and that caused some confusion which cost me a few seconds. I am not sure how that happened. Please double check your registration. The organizers did respond to me with my concerns in a reasonable time, and my half time was recorded properly despite me wearing a full bib.
Ok experience. I am glad I got to visit Sioux Falls, but I wouldn’t run this race again.
Fargo Marathon
Warm, Average Course, Great Swag
Fargo Marathon
- The course was just ok, lots of turns, which was annoying. It is a loop course where you start and end in the Fargodome - The weather was a … MORE
– The course was just ok, lots of turns, which was annoying. It is a loop course where you start and end in the Fargodome
– The weather was a tad too warm for a PR or close to it: it was in the 60s and somewhat humid.
– Not as many fluid stations as I thought there would be, especially for such a warm course.
– The course is mostly flat, but did have an incline here and there.
– PROS: Very nice and functional jacket given as swag. Also, the pics of the race were good, and they were free! That is very rare for a race nowadays.
All in all, an ok race. Nothing special except for the free and cool jacket, and the free pics.
Boston Marathon 🏆
An Amazing Experience!
Boston Marathon 🏆
I finished much better than I had ever hoped to expect. I had heard so many horror stories about the race beforehand that I lowered my expectations. But, after running … MORE
I finished much better than I had ever hoped to expect. I had heard so many horror stories about the race beforehand that I lowered my expectations. But, after running NYC three times and training in my hometown of NYC, which is hilly, especially in Central Park, Boston was not as bad I as the hype. Of course, two things really helped: the amazing crowd support and the luck of decent weather (for April in Boston, but still not ideal for a marathon). Yes, there are hills, but also many downhills.
All in all, a very special, emotional, and unique running experience. I don’t know if I would do it again, but I was very happy that I raced it.
Louisiana Marathon
Decent
Louisiana Marathon
It was cool for the deep South, but then I could not fly home because I was stuck in the worst snowstorm Louisiana ever experienced since 1895! MORE
It was cool for the deep South, but then I could not fly home because I was stuck in the worst snowstorm Louisiana ever experienced since 1895!
Keesler Federal Mississippi Gulf Coast Marathon
Mostly Flat and Well Organized
Keesler Federal Mississippi Gulf Coast Marathon
What I like about this race is that they were very good about providing shuttle service since it was a point to point race, which I also liked. The course … MORE
What I like about this race is that they were very good about providing shuttle service since it was a point to point race, which I also liked.
The course itself is mostly flat until you hit an incline from about mile 11.5 to almost mile 13. You finish in Keesler Park, which gives you a stadium like finish, which is fun.
The main downside (aside from the incline at the end) is the weather. It was a warm 61 degrees when I started at 7am. It was also somewhat humid and a bit windy. If it was cooler, I think I may have had a chance at a PR.
Des Moines Marathon
Poor Course Management
Des Moines Marathon
I ended up running the race for over 14 miles because I took a wrong turn after mile 10. That was really disappointing since I was on my way to … MORE
I ended up running the race for over 14 miles because I took a wrong turn after mile 10. That was really disappointing since I was on my way to finishing the race well under 1:35. Instead, I finished at almost 1:40. There should have been course marshals at each every single mile. Overall, the course was just ok. There was a bit of a hill around mile 5, but the course is otherwise flat.
One good thing I will say about this race is that instead of the usual cheap and cheesy shirt that most races give out, this race gave out a nice hooded windbreaker instead.
Gulf Beach Half Marathon
Too Warm and Not That Flat
Gulf Beach Half Marathon
Unlike how it is promoted, this is NOT a pancake flat course. There is some incline. Granted, nothing terrible but it certainly is not the flattest course. Secondly, it was … MORE
Unlike how it is promoted, this is NOT a pancake flat course. There is some incline. Granted, nothing terrible but it certainly is not the flattest course. Secondly, it was quite warm when I ran. I believe it was about 70 degrees when I crossed the finish. This is not a PR course at all.
Further, there were not mile markers at each mile.
Finally, it would have been nice to have been able to pick up the bib the day before the race.
At least, there were nice views of the Long Island Sound along the course.
Tacoma Narrows Half Marathon
Quite Hilly and Many Turns
Tacoma Narrows Half Marathon
This is definitely NOT a race you want to run if you want to PR. You go over the Tacoma Narrows Bridge twice, and I thought the mile after the … MORE
This is definitely NOT a race you want to run if you want to PR. You go over the Tacoma Narrows Bridge twice, and I thought the mile after the second lap of the bridge (mile 8) was especially hilly and my slowest split.
Even though there was police throughout the course, there was still traffic. The medal was ugly.
On the positive side, the weather was not too bad, and it was cool going over the bridge. All in all, I think this is a decent race if you want to practice over a hilly terrain. But, don’t go in expecting any PRs.
Eugene Marathon
Great Race to PR
Eugene Marathon
Overall, a very positive experience. This was my 7th marathon and both my PR and BQ. The organization and crowd support for a small city was excellent. Finishing inside the … MORE
Overall, a very positive experience. This was my 7th marathon and both my PR and BQ. The organization and crowd support for a small city was excellent. Finishing inside the Hayward stadium was amazing.
The weather was perfect. I was worried that I would get caught in a downpour, but we ended up with a just a little drizzle. The temp was nice ad cool throughout.
Just a few cons:
1. There was no mile marker on Mile 16 or so. But, that is minor gripe.
2. It is not pancake flat. A few hills, but nothing too bad.
All, in well, the race was very well organized, with clear signs of where to go, plenty of crowd suport. This is definitelty the race to run if you want a good marathon experience.
T-Town Half Marathon
NO MILE MARKERS OR COURSE MARSHALS
T-Town Half Marathon
This was one of the worst half marathons I have ever run, and I've run over 30 of them across different states from NY to CA. There was not one … MORE
This was one of the worst half marathons I have ever run, and I’ve run over 30 of them across different states from NY to CA. There was not one mile marker on the course, and no course marshals! I ended up taking a wrong turn which made me lose time. Several times I had to yell out to the indifferent cops where I should go next
The race also humid. The best I can say is that they served some pizza afterwards. I’d avoid this race unless you are very familiar with the course.