I ran the New York City Marathon in 1999, 2000, 2001 and nothing can compare to the sheer magnitude of the competitors, fans and the course! If you are, smart you'll wear and bring plenty of 'throw away' clothes to keep you warm before the race. Don't be one of those who is shivering in the fetal position in shorts and a singlet in the windy 40 degree weather. You can shed the clothes as you get warmer. The good news is that all of the discarded clothes are collected and given to the homeless. I have finished an Ironman and it still can't compare to the feeling of running this race! The course is challenging and wonderful at the same time. When you check your bag at the start, make sure you have a warm set of clothes and shoes for afterwards (when you get your bag at the finish) and make sure you wear and bring many layers of clothes to the start. If you want to do one marathon in your life, do this one. If you want to know what New York is like, do this race. There is nothing like this race. Good luck in the lottery!

There is a reason that the winning times at new york are minutes off of the world records for elite runners. Now add at least 30 min to your time & relax. run this one for fun. The course is tough. The wait time at staten island really wears you out before the start, and then the iron and concrete bridges get the best of you, before central park sticks a fork in you. If i do it again i will go slow and enjoy the city & people and forget about the clock.

If you want to run with people from around the world and have the best time of your life, and see the best spectators in the world cheering you on from start to finish, this is the marathon for you!

I ran the 2002 NYC Marathon and it was my first - what a way to start! If you are looking to run your first marathon, make it this one.

I ran the NYC Marathon in 2001, just seven weeks after 9/11. Understandably my experience will be more emotional than those who ran in 2000 or 2002. We were blessed with good weather, so the long wait at Staten Island was not cold. I spent the time visiting with other runners and attending the church service. I also took a magazine and crossword puzzles. Be prepared! The long wait time is no secret. I do agree with the porta potty comments. Need more at the start and through Brooklyn. Because the crowds are 6 deep, the pit stops are hard to find.
The spectators are the best anywhere! The cheering never stopped all the way to the finish (and I'm a back of the packer.) In 2001 there wasn't a dry eye at the start. When we were about 2/3rd of the way over the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, I heard a tremendous roar go up. I asked someone near me what that was and she said 'it's the crowd in Brooklyn cheering the lead runners.' Sent a chill through my whole body. I can't say enough about the crowd encouragement - we shouted 'We Love New York!' and they shouted 'We Love You Too!' Firemen and policemen were cheering for us - like we were the heroes. Many of us made a point to shake their hands along the route. Many in the crowd yelled 'Thanks for being here!' It was an experience that still brings tears to my eyes. I will be running it again this year and will have my name in big letters on my singlet! Just a couple of other comments: yes, the finish is a long walk -that also is no secret. It will be a long trip back to your hotel - know exactly where you will meet your family and friends. This is well explained in the prerace information.
Also I was disappointed in the Expo. Not the long lines -with the extra security in 2001, that wasn't surprising. I was disappointed in the selection of race merchandise. Big Sur has by far the best, but I thought NYC could do better. A word of warning - it is easy to overdo in New York - my legs were dead before race day from tromping around Little Italy and Times Square. Try to plan your trip to do the sightseeing after the marathon. Due to the logistics of the start/finish and the emotion of a big race - also the crowds at the start and the bridges, I wouldn't expect a PR. Also I wouldn't recommend this as a first marathon for the same reasons. But I loved it!

This was my first and thusfar only marathon, in fact it is the first organized run I have ever done. I felt the course was awesome and the fan support is unbelievable. The start sucked and as a runner without a previous time I was surrounded by slower runners (and thousands of them) I decided early on to enjoy the experience and forget about my time. I agree with several of the other comments I have read about the start. I understand the sheer size of this race makes waiting inevitable however if you are educated you can save yourself some grief. Do not get to Staten Island to early the wait is long and very very cold. (I was extremely envious of the runners cuddled up in their sleeping bags.) I was shivering and laying on the ground in the fetal position for a couple of hours desparately trying to stay motivated to run.
Once 11:15 finally rolls around the actual race is fantastic, and the fans will motivate anyone to the finish line.
A great way to see a great city. Hope to be back in 2003

This was my first and thusfar only marathon, in fact it is the first organized run I have ever done. I felt the course was awesome and the fan support is unbelievable. The start sucked and as a runner without a previous time I was surrounded by slower runners (and thousands of them) I decided early on to enjoy the experience and forget about my time. I agree with several of the other comments I have read about the start. I understand the sheer size of this race makes waiting inevitable however if you are educated you can save yourself some grief. Do not get to Staten Island to early the wait is long and very very cold. (I was extremely envious of the runners cuddled up in their sleeping bags.) I was shivering and laying on the ground in the fetal position for a couple of hours desparately trying to stay motivated to run.
Once 11:15 finally rolls around the actual race is fantastic, and the fans will motivate anyone to the finish line.
A great way to see a great city. Hope to be back in 2003

It was my first NYC marathon, after three attempts to win the lottery. The organization was excellent, the course was not as flat, as I had thought, the spectators were spectacular. A few suggestions for improvement:
1. The waiting time at the Staten Island was too long. Cut it down as much as possible.
2. Please, install more portable WC's at the start area. The line-ups were endless. Just after the start so many people decided (were forced?) to stop at the Verazzano Bridge, that from below it must have looked like Niagara Falls.
3. Combine bags pick-up with chip removal, just after the finish line.
Thanks for the great run.

Everything was great -especially the fans! I hated the morning wait time-the organisers did make it bearable with the live stage and bands. At this marathon you really feel like you are a part of something BIG-very exhilirating.

This was my 1st time running NYC and it was top notch in all aspects. I can understand some concerns about how early you need to to arrive to catch the bus to the start & long waits in Staten Island, but this is to be expected with such a large event. I also disagree that you cant get a PR at this race, as I ran a PR by far & qualifed for Boston. While the start is slow, the amazing crowd support more than makes up for it & the crowd motivates and pushes you to greatness. I highly recommend this event for everyone, just know in advance what you're in for and plan accordingly. Enjoy!

This is one of those marathons you do so you can say you did it but you don't necessarily want to do again unless you need that big crowd, marathon hype to make you run better. If you're a veteran runner and can run on your own without the hoohaa or you don't want to spend a kings ransom for lodging, food, cabs, etc, go somewhere else for a better time. The course isn't flat and fast. It has many bridges with a few of them being somewhat difficult. If you're a 4 hr or less marathoner I'm sure you can have a PR. It's NYC's marathon and they let you know it because they sure don't make you feel real welcome. The on-line marathon store took forever to get me my orders. They lost one and you don't get a live voice when you call. The 3 hour start wait is a travesty in planning and really unnecesary. I want to personally thank the UPS girl at truck 47 for having such an lousy attitude because she didn't want to be there. How do you think I felt as an out of towner having to wait 3 hours for a marathon, running the marathon, then getting the thrill of walking a mile to see your mug in order to get my gear and then finishing the day with a few more miles walk to my hotel because there's no transportation back from Central Park? It's almost an ultramarathon with all the gyrations you have to endure to participate in their event. This isn't the same town I remembered going to visit family when I was younger except that the subways have less graffiti on them now. I'll be somewhere else next November.