This was my third major after Chicago and Berlin. The crowd was amazing--both Chicago and Berlin were cold and rainy, so the crowds were sparse. The course was well organized … MORE
This was my third major after Chicago and Berlin. The crowd was amazing–both Chicago and Berlin were cold and rainy, so the crowds were sparse. The course was well organized with aid stations (medical, port-a-pottys, water and gatorade every mile), but I have 2 big gripes:
1. They say no running vests/backpacks, but plenty of people used them and were allowed to. I wish I hadn’t read the rules, because I can’t drink gatorade without puking, but it was really hot and humid.
2. I was really unimpressed with NYRR’s organization of the pre-race logistics. If you can, definitely take a bus from mid-town or use your own transportation to the start; it can’t be worse than the ferry. It took me 3 hours to get from my hotel at Grand Central Station to the race start. Getting to and on the ferry was about as simple as expected. However, after we got off the ferry, it was a mad rush to about 15 buses. It took me an hour and 15 minutes to get on one, and that was only because a cop finally escorted me on after watching me get crushed/nearly trampled 3 times. There was no crowd control/organized lines, and it was pretty dangerous with people surging and shoving to get on buses. There were wave 2 runners who were going to miss their start and wave 5 runners shoving onto buses because they just wanted to get to the start. There were no metal barriers to direct runners onto buses, and buses weren’t stopping in consistent spots, so the front part of the pack would be shoved in multiple directions depending on where buses stopped in that round. No better way to spend the morning of a marathon than standing and being pushed around for over an hour! Once on the bus, it was another 20 minutes to the race start area (the roads were shockingly not closed) and another 10-15 minutes to get to the corrals.
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Least favorite major so far
This was my third major after Chicago and Berlin. The crowd was amazing--both Chicago and Berlin were cold and rainy, so the crowds were sparse. The course was well organized … MORE
This was my third major after Chicago and Berlin. The crowd was amazing–both Chicago and Berlin were cold and rainy, so the crowds were sparse. The course was well organized with aid stations (medical, port-a-pottys, water and gatorade every mile), but I have 2 big gripes:
1. They say no running vests/backpacks, but plenty of people used them and were allowed to. I wish I hadn’t read the rules, because I can’t drink gatorade without puking, but it was really hot and humid.
2. I was really unimpressed with NYRR’s organization of the pre-race logistics. If you can, definitely take a bus from mid-town or use your own transportation to the start; it can’t be worse than the ferry. It took me 3 hours to get from my hotel at Grand Central Station to the race start. Getting to and on the ferry was about as simple as expected. However, after we got off the ferry, it was a mad rush to about 15 buses. It took me an hour and 15 minutes to get on one, and that was only because a cop finally escorted me on after watching me get crushed/nearly trampled 3 times. There was no crowd control/organized lines, and it was pretty dangerous with people surging and shoving to get on buses. There were wave 2 runners who were going to miss their start and wave 5 runners shoving onto buses because they just wanted to get to the start. There were no metal barriers to direct runners onto buses, and buses weren’t stopping in consistent spots, so the front part of the pack would be shoved in multiple directions depending on where buses stopped in that round. No better way to spend the morning of a marathon than standing and being pushed around for over an hour! Once on the bus, it was another 20 minutes to the race start area (the roads were shockingly not closed) and another 10-15 minutes to get to the corrals.
world's greatest fans, lots of pavement
The expo is easy to get. Getting your bib is easy. There is a place to try on shirts for size BEFORE picking up your shirt. I suggest you do … MORE
The expo is easy to get. Getting your bib is easy. There is a place to try on shirts for size BEFORE picking up your shirt. I suggest you do this because my husband’s shirt was too small. New Balance had a lot of different items. I arrived around 11 on Friday and the New Balance area was like a Black Friday frenzy. If you see something you’re interested in buying, grab it before it’s gone.
If you have not run NYC be prepared to wait. If you’re slower than a 9 minute pace, be prepared to wait a long time. Our bus time was 5:30am (it took 30 minutes to get on the bus, about an hour bus ride). Our start time was 11:30. We packed a second breakfast that we ate about three hours before our start time.
In 2022, the weather was unseasonably warm. When we started at 11:30 the temperature was about 75 degrees F. I hope this was an anomaly but at mile 9 water station they ran out of cups. I had to cup my hands and drink like a dog lapping water from a bowl. Hopefully that issue will be resolved in the future.
The crowds are fantastic. We were slower than most runners. Heck, we started after the elites had already finished. Even so, I was amazed at the number of people cheering for us. The race bibs don’t have names on them. Be sure to put your name on the front of your shirt so people can cheer for you. I learned the start villages had some tape and markers for this. The start villages also had bagels, drinks, Dunkin beanies, porta potties and therapy dogs.
The course is deceptively hard. It’s all pavement so if you train on soft surfaces, like me, you may start to feel it in the later miles. There are also what seem to be a lot of inclines.
The finish area has your medal, poncho (leave room in your luggage for this) and recovery bag which had two drinks, pretzels and an apple. It’s a walk to get out of the finish area to meet spectators. If someone is going to watch you, plan on a spot to meet up afterwards.
NYC is an experience like no other race. If you’re up for it, go for it.
PS – We got in by being lucky and snagging virtual with guaranteed entry virtual spots. If you are interested in that, register on NYRR and watch for the announcements. I think that opportunity takes place in early June.
Very Hard BUT Very New York!
Get to the expo early if you want to buy stuff. Come back on Saturday if you want to meet your heroes! I would most definitely sign up through a … MORE
Get to the expo early if you want to buy stuff. Come back on Saturday if you want to meet your heroes! I would most definitely sign up through a tour partner like Marathon Tours because the logistics are tricky and they make everything smooth as silk. The course is HARD. I’ve run 18 other marathons and this was one of the more difficult courses. You have to get there WAY before you start running and New York is just a big, tiring city to begin with.
It starts at an incline over the bridge and then to me it feels like it sorta inclines up more than 1/2 way. The crowds (especially in Brooklyn) are INTENSE! If you’ve ever run the Peachtree Road Race, its like that for 26 miles. Its wonderful and amazing and why you do New York, but it is very hard to focus on what you’re doing and settle into a pace. In many areas the crowd is so thick they are crowding the course and you can only run 2-3 people across the road. Plus no matter how fast or slow you are there are TONS of people all around you at every moment. The people of New York city make this race really magic and special to me! I felt honored that so many people spent hours and hours and hours out on the course cheering and making it really fun! The cops in the Bronx are a highlight for sure! Don’t expect a good time and allow yourself to relax and enjoy and go with the flow and you’re for sure in for a great experience!
I survived!!
I tell people there are 100 variables that go into race day: Some you can control, others you can't. The weather falls into the latter. I had a rough day. … MORE
I tell people there are 100 variables that go into race day: Some you can control, others you can’t. The weather falls into the latter. I had a rough day. When I started the race, air temp was about 70 degrees (F) and humidity about 85% if the weather app is correct. By mile two I was dripping in sweat, which is uncharacteristic for me. I intentionally slowed down the first 3 miles, then afterwards found I couldn’t really pick up the pace at all. I needed to stop at every water stop for fluids, but even that didn’t seem enough. Around mile 13 I needed to transition to a walk-run strategy because my body was struggling with the heat. With 200 meters left in the race my right leg cramped up pretty badly and I needed to hobble into the finish. This was by far my worse marathon performance of the 32 I’ve done, but I haven’t raced in these conditions before either. I continued cramping up for several hours after the race despite taking in more fluids and keeping up with Endurolytes during the race.
For a race this size I thought the coordination was well done. Communications were good and the mobile app helpful. The expo was easy to get in and out if you just wanted to pick up your bib and shirt. But if you wanted to visit expo vendors you needed to pass through the New Balance store and that was chaos! It wasn’t quite shoulder-to-shoulder passing through there, but it was nearly so. On the other side of the store was the expo. I truly hope they have a better floor plan for future marathons because that layout was poorly designed for that volume of people.
Race day itself started early. I was dropped off to enter the green zone about 4 hours before my start. I recommend bringing a magazine if you don’t have friends with you to pass the time. Fortunately we had a glorious and warm morning. My photo below is from the green staging area. Portopotties were plentiful: If there was any line at all, it was never more than 2 people. I did bring extra TP, just in case, and glad I did. They had (free) bagels, water, coffee, and Gatorade available too. There was plenty of room to sit around. There were many drop boxes for clothes.
Starting corral was orderly getting everyone lined up and onto the race course. While there were many runners, I still felt there was enough space around me to move freely once the race started. The course itself seemed to have some long albeit minor up hills – just an observation. The bridges I thought were pretty cool in how distinct they were, and didn’t pose any issue for me. Each water stop seemed to have about a dozen portopotties with a wait of at most 1-3 people by the time I came by. The volunteers and the NYC cheering crowds were outstanding! Plenty of police around too cheering people on. Bravo NYC! Once you entered the Bronx (mile 20ish) there was a cop who announced there was a non-loitering law there so we’d better keep our butts moving 🙂
After crossing the finish line, there is a long exit chute in which you receive your poncho and post race snacks in a bag after getting your medal. For me I appreciated the slow walk and being able to chat with other runners who just experienced what I had. Turns out I wasn’t alone in struggling with the heat. This did reinforce to me the importance of changing a race plan based on conditions, and changing a goal of a certain time to one of just finishing the race. Of that I’m proud that I adjusted my plan as it enabled me to finish. No regrets from running this race and one I’d recommend.
Better bring you patience
be prepared to wait! Wait in line for a bus/ferry, await in line at security, not wait in a field for 3+ hours, wait in a corral, wait at the … MORE
be prepared to wait! Wait in line for a bus/ferry, await in line at security, not wait in a field for 3+ hours, wait in a corral, wait at the start line.
Crowd support is unreal though.
Amazing!
Anyone who is a marathon runner must do this race! What an experience. To see all of the charity runners and the Achilles runners with Guides, all the crowd support, … MORE
Anyone who is a marathon runner must do this race! What an experience. To see all of the charity runners and the Achilles runners with Guides, all the crowd support, running through 5 boroughs of NYC and finishing in Central Park – absolutely outstanding. Challenging course – it is definitely NOT a flat marathon and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!
Enjoy this party!
What's the biggest takeaway from running NYC?? It's a PARTY and the city shows up and shows out!! 2022 was rooouuuuugh. It was so incredibly hot and humid, making the … MORE
What’s the biggest takeaway from running NYC?? It’s a PARTY and the city shows up and shows out!!
2022 was rooouuuuugh. It was so incredibly hot and humid, making the day completely shot for me but besides that, there are some pros and cons about this race:
Pros:
– Biggest race and you’ll never be alone!
– The crowd support is definitely electric
– The course is flat but with some hills
– The scenery is exactly what you would expect for such a great city
Cons:
– If you aren’t fast… you’re at the back. Which is fine! Minus the late start to the day… I woke up at 5:30am for an 11am start time
– Transportation logistics to the start are just rough… There’s no easy way to do it. People have pros and cons for both the ferry and the bus – pick your poison.
– This year’s water stations were awful. They should not be partnering with their current water provider – Flow Spring Alkaline. The water is good but not for running if you’ve never had alkaline water before. NYRR really needs to reconsider this 4 year contract.
Focus on Fun Time
Difficult race to PR. Very crowded, sometimes you get a "funnel" effect where streets narrow and may be forced to walk it is so crowded. That said, so much fun. … MORE
Difficult race to PR. Very crowded, sometimes you get a “funnel” effect where streets narrow and may be forced to walk it is so crowded. That said, so much fun. 26.2 miles of people cheering and partying as you run by! Do it!
Great Race
NYC was awesome! I wasn’t fully prepared for that late start however, it was a nice weather day. Troy and another young lady gave me a couple of bars to … MORE
NYC was awesome! I wasn’t fully prepared for that late start however, it was a nice weather day. Troy and another young lady gave me a couple of bars to tide me over however, once we went into our corral, we saw the bagels and coffee. I had no idea about that. That would have been nice if I had known eariler. Great crowd support until the end of the race, ran out of cups during the middle of the race but later on there were more cups, thank God.
A "Bucket List" Must!
What a race! I got in to the NYC Marathon through the lottery system, but many people get in through charities or one of the various plans that NYRR offers. … MORE
What a race! I got in to the NYC Marathon through the lottery system, but many people get in through charities or one of the various plans that NYRR offers. However you get in, it’s definitely going to be memorable! Some random thoughts:
1) Join a Facebook group (Runar’s Runners is exceptionally great!) or the RunNYC sub on Reddit to get tips/advice/questions answered from fellow runners. These groups were invaluable!
2) Getting 50,000+ people to Staten Island for the start of the race requires heavy logistics. They talk about “the marathon before the marathon” and they are right. I stayed in the Upper West side of Manhattan (near the finish), so the morning of the marathon, I had to take the subway to the ferry, wait for the ferry to take me to Staten Island, ride the ferry, wait in line to catch a bus (an absolute $hit$how this year unfortunately), then ride the bus to the start village. Then walk to my wave start. It’s a lot to take in before you even reach the starting line.
3) The crowd support is absolutely incredible! Wall to wall people, cheering for you and screaming support! I loved their enthusiasm and clever signs. When you need some energy, these spectators deliver!
4) Plan ahead of time how/where you will meet up with family members after the race. You finish somewhere along 63rd street in Central Park, but then you have a long journey to walk out of the park. Depending on how late you finish, you may be able to exit 77th or 72nd street, but then you have to keep walking south to get to the “official” family reunion area. Just know it will be crowded and plan accordingly.
5) Marathon Monday is the day after the race where you can visit the finish line and wait in line to get your medal engraved or hit the merchandise tent (if you are superstitious and didn’t pick up swag at the expo). I personally bought all my marathon merchandise at the expo when I picked up my bib, but I enjoyed walking the finish line the day after just to relive the experience. But get there early for photos! They really do start disassembling the finish line the next morning so the equipment might all be down if you get there later than 9:00 or so.
6) It’s a lot of training for just one day, and as we saw with this year’s race, expectations got thrown out the window with the heat and humidity. People were collapsing, suffering from dehydration, and forced to walk due to cramping. You just can’t predict weather/race day conditions. So be prepared to adjust your mindset and just enjoy this incredible race experience for what it is!
It’s so hot in November?!?
NY has the BEST system for getting everyone to the start of the race. Logistics are top notch. They have 5 different starts one for each wave I liked that … MORE
NY has the BEST system for getting everyone to the start of the race. Logistics are top notch.
They have 5 different starts one for each wave I liked that as well. There are some elevation changes on the course that could be challenging but I trained for the hills and the legs felt good for the full race. Temps were not my friend that day. 70’s and 75% humidity made it hard to breathe and get in to a groove. The mid course aid stations ran out of supplies and that was another thing I didn’t like. I’d expect more from a race of this caliber. While it was a pour day for running it was an amazing day for spectators, I found that there were a few areas on the course that were with out crowd support. Over all I’m glad that I got NY done but I don’t have to do that one again.
Hot and Humid this year
So this year was my marathon debut and unusually warm and humid for November. So I’m checking the “ate me alive” difficulty option but more experienced runners or in more … MORE
So this year was my marathon debut and unusually warm and humid for November. So I’m checking the “ate me alive” difficulty option but more experienced runners or in more favorable weather would have a much easier time. I don’t think NYC needs much of an introduction. It’s the big show and an experience on its own. I’d recommend everyone do it at least once. Except maybe the Queensboro bridge; I think we can all skip that part of the experience. The city comes out in support of this marathon and it’s great. I saw people frantically trying to open cases of water bottles or help runners. And I was also airhorned in the face by very very excited fans who’d had many mimosas that morning. But the city’s heart is in the right place. I’d recommend this race to anyone.
Tour of the Burroughs with 50K friends
Journey through all the Burroughs in the world's biggest marathon. Runners need to select a day and time frame to pick up their packet. It starts on Thursday and runs … MORE
Journey through all the Burroughs in the world’s biggest marathon.
Runners need to select a day and time frame to pick up their packet. It starts on Thursday and runs until Saturday. The Jarvits center is large and can accommodate a lot of people. I was able to pick up my bib and shirt on Friday afternoon with no wait. The expo itself was busy and there was a little bit of a line if you wanted to buy some extra souvenirs, but everything moved quickly and there was a lot to look at.
Runners need to select a pickup location as well for race morning. Your pickup time will be determined by your race start. There were 3 pickup locations. I took a bus from the public library in Midtown Manhattan at 5 am. It took less than an hour to get to the starting area. All runners had to go through security and place everything in the clear bag that they were given at the expo. There are 3 wave colors and each one has its own village at the start. There are port-a-johns and drinks in each village. Each village has its own set of corrals which open about 45 minutes before the race start. Within the corrals, there are more port-a-johns for that last minute trip. There are also several drop boxes around for donating your clothes. The corrals close a few minutes before the race start and then the group is lead from the corral to the start line. I spent 3 hours waiting in the blue village before the race start.
The race started promptly at 9:10 with the blast of a cannon. Runners are immediately greeted with an uphill climb over the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge with a great view of the NY skyline and out of Staten Island. The blue and orange waves start on top of the bridge and merge around the 3 mile mark. The green wave starts under the bridge and merges in with the other two colors around mile 8.
The route goes through all 5 of the Burroughs. You run the most miles in Brooklyn. There were fluid stations offering water and Gatorade Endurance every mile after 3 miles. Gels were available at miles 12 and 18 and a couple banana stations. Port-a-johns were available every mile as well.
The crowds were large and loud in most places. There were a couple quiet places, part of Brooklyn and on the Queensborro bridge. Once you come off the bridge, the crowds in Manhattan are loud and help give you a boost. The course is challenging, but the sites and crowds will help push you through. This year it was in the 70s with over 80% humidity. The heat and humidity crushed me and lead me to my slowest marathon to date. There were people dropping and passing out in several places. Everyone was immediately attended to. The volunteers, NYPD and everyone else involved were some of the best I have ever seen. I still have a bad taste in my mouth due to my poor performance as I write this, but NY is an experience every runner should have in their lifetime. The medals were great this year and I liked the shirt as well. The runners are given a recovery bag at the finish with 3 different drinks, an apple and a bag of pretzels. The ponchos are lined and are very nice although they were not needed this year.
In the end, it is a great race, and I can see why it is one of the majors. Although it was a tough day, I made it to the finish and earned my 4th star.
You want to be a part of it - NY, NY!
There’s a ton of race information online and a helpful Facebook group for newbies. This marathon is for the runner who loves a crowd on an urban course. There is … MORE
There’s a ton of race information online and a helpful Facebook group for newbies. This marathon is for the runner who loves a crowd on an urban course. There is no peace on the course, so leave your headphones at home. The cheering, music and spectacle make this a fun parade full of hyper-stimulation. The good people of NYC support this run in full force.
1) Prepare to do a lot of walking before and after the race. The race finishes in the park around 66th street and racers must shuffle through the park and exit on the west at 77th. Since we were staying in midtown just a half-mile from the park, we had a nice 2-mile walk back to the hotel. I might try staying upper west side to be closest to the finish.
2) Transportation to start was a real $hitshow. There was trouble loading buses coming off the StatenIsland Ferry. Go early and just plan on chilling at the start village.
3) Bib numbers are generally assigned based on faster predicted race times, but these times are self-reported and not verified. I’d probably try and get the earliest start possible.
4) Wear your name on your singlet to have the crowd cheer for you personally. I really needed their energy at the finish. When I wanted to run more anonymously, I just moved to the middle of the road. But I was definitely running near the shoulder coming down 5th avenue and in the park after mile 22.
NYC Marathon
Great race. Great energy. Train a bit for hills due to the bridges. Amazing crowd support. One of the 6 world majors AND in NYC so what else do you … MORE
Great race. Great energy. Train a bit for hills due to the bridges. Amazing crowd support. One of the 6 world majors AND in NYC so what else do you need to know!!
New York is a Favorite
This is a big city race, a must do. The logistics are tough in the morning to get up early and wait around. Bring blankets and extra clothes to stay … MORE
This is a big city race, a must do. The logistics are tough in the morning to get up early and wait around. Bring blankets and extra clothes to stay warm, as well as plan to rest before you go. The race is epic!
You Want to be a Part of It
New York was back in a big way -- even with some restrictions. This was my first time running NYC, and it was phenomenal. The streets were alive with people, … MORE
New York was back in a big way — even with some restrictions. This was my first time running NYC, and it was phenomenal. The streets were alive with people, often several people deep, and we–the runners–were truly never alone. Well, other than the Queensboro Bridge, where there are no crowds. But even there, runners were supporting each other, and then you turn onto 1st Avenue, which is just a rush, a roar you hear coming from the bridge even before you’re able to see the crowd.
The marathon is a great way to experience the city, with each borough bringing its own style and feel. Besides that, New York is a great city and the race is a world major. Take a bite of the apple!
I’m a Believer!
I’m an avid New York who leads running tours in every corner of our city, but the NYC Marathon was never among my faves…until now. The course is pretty difficult … MORE
I’m an avid New York who leads running tours in every corner of our city, but the NYC Marathon was never among my faves…until now. The course is pretty difficult and forsakes some of New York’s best streets in order to handle 50,000 runners. But 2021 was the most fun a runner can have in a Major. The crowds created a euphoric atmosphere. The best ever and probably the best possible. Every block had the intensity of a goal-line stand. Organization was impeccable and facilities bountiful. The weather was, once again, ideal. Even the course seemed more attractive than last years. My time was far off the mark, but the fun was off the charts!
Great spectator and volunteer support
I wanted to run the 50th anniversary of the marathon and though I lost my mental mojo because of the delay from 2020 and anticipation of the wait time to … MORE
I wanted to run the 50th anniversary of the marathon and though I lost my mental mojo because of the delay from 2020 and anticipation of the wait time to start, I stayed the course. It was a beautiful day! Plenty of porta pots, bus ride to the start was easy and smooth, but for us slower runners, the wait for noon start was a little much. Many spectators stayed out to cheer on us back of the packers but I felt a little disappointed that the bands had packed up. I finished in the dark due to too many bladder breaks and the time change but it was still awesome. I followed advice put my name on my shirt and it was awesome hearing people call out my name, even kids. My eardrums were hurting from the enthusiastic crowds! I love that cars are never close, they block the streets far enough away that you never have to see them and it was such a weight lifted. In my hometown, police have to stop traffic at lights and some police let people sneak between slow runners and many drivers are impatient and have disobeyed orders to stop. So it was awesome to not deal with this! Running over bridges was not too bad. The Verrazano at the start is an incline and I have seen multiple FB posts about how hard the race is, but I did not feel that way. It is challenging but I thought it was more my training went off the rails and as mentioned, my mental was a little off. I was a little disappointed that I was a half hour over my first marathon in 2018, so I may have to do this one again. The medal is a big, heavy, gold 50th beauty! The expo was ok but they had no trinket type items you could take home for people, everything was pretty expensive. But I shopped till my credit card melted..lol! I strongly recommend this race for the experience. The volunteers were awesome and the crowds love this event and show it, in particular those out for brunch and drinks. I ran the virtual marathon and fund raised for Team for Kids in 2019 so I could have guaranteed entry for 2020, which of course was cancelled. So, do what you need to if you don’t want to chance the lottery, you will love it!
Simply The Best
This was my 7th marathon and my first NYC and though this was a much more tamed down version it still was ridiculously awesome. The expo was clearly not as … MORE
This was my 7th marathon and my first NYC and though this was a much more tamed down version it still was ridiculously awesome.
The expo was clearly not as large as previous years and I’m sure in the future it will return to the much larger expo people are used to. The giveaway shirt was good and the New Balance section still had a lot to offer though very pricy.
The race itself was outstanding. The crowd support was great, the volunteers were perfect. There were definitely enough aid stations plus many unofficial aid as well.
The finisher medal was top notch. Thought they would have done something better this year with the Poncho since it was the “50th” anniversary (debatable.”)
Overall, can not wait to run this again!