A dream come true! What a joy picking up my number at the expo. The ferry was wonderful. What a way to start hearing, "NY, NY." Brooklyn policemen were joking with runners who stopped at the end of the Verrazano. Hearing my named called the first time from my shirt brought tears to my eyes. Little kids were in BedSty quietly cheering while their parents watched in silence. Crowds in Brooklyn are off the sidewalk and in the road cheering you on! The signs fans hold up in Queens are hysterical. Hearing the roar of First Ave. is a blast, only to be compared to the roar of Central Park. Firemen are cheering you on in the Bronx when you need it most. The different bands along the course are amazing. You can meet your family no problem if you plan ahead.

For those with constructive thoughts, try to remember this may be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many of the runners, myself included. Thanks to the fans, I never hit a wall; rather, I couldn't wipe the grin off my face. I never thought, "Ugh, 13.1 miles to go." Rather I thought, "Oh no, only 13.1 miles left of this thrilling experience."

Thank you to the people I met, the volunteers, the fans, and my friends and family.

I guess I'll start with the negatives first. I know it's a major undertaking to move 40,000 people to Staten Island, but there's no two ways about it; having to hit the subway at 4:45 a.m. to make it to a race at 9:40 SUCKS. I don't know how it could be improved, but if you haven't run NYC before, be aware that you are in for a long, long morning before you even start running. Even Boston, where they have to bus tens of thousands out to Hopkinton, isn't this bad.

Also, at least for the first wave, the corrals closed absurdly early. I had to abandon a port-a-potty line and sprint a quarter-mile to the corrals when it was suddenly announced - almost 40 minutes before the start - that the Wave 1 corrals were closed. Luckily the volunteer let me in anyway, but I passed several other corrals where people didn't seem so fortunate. We stood around for 20 minutes anyway before heading to the start, so there seemed to be no point in locking people out so early. Also note that at least for my group, there were banks of port-a-potties in each corral which were barely being used, in contrast to the inevitable long lines in the staging area. Wish I'd known beforehand.

Third, the death march through Central Park after the finish is real pain in more ways than one. Those of us with four-digit bib numbers get herded (literally - I stopped a couple times to chug my Gatorade and both times a volunteer was all over me within seconds, telling me to keep walking) a mile-plus up to an exit at 85th Street, past several other exits. What a joy that is after running 26.2.

On the plus side, it's New York; it's an incredible city and an incredible course filled with incredible fans and, for the most part, pretty excellent volunteers as well. If I could give the fans six stars I would. I thought I was fairly jaded, but it was still staggering to come off the long haul across the empty Queensboro Bridge, make a u-turn, and suddenly find that you're in Manhattan with cheering New Yorkers packed eight-deep on both sides of the street. Awesome.

I know that a few drawbacks like these aren't going to keep anyone from running the race. Heck, if I can run a qualifying time again, I wouldn't mind coming back myself. But just be forewarned that as legendary a race as New York City is, and as much positives as there are, you more than likely will face some hassles that you wouldn't at a smaller race (or even at many other big races).

I loved this race. I liked the course and spectators. NYC is the best.

All of the gripes are true. Perhaps next year it should stay at 43,000. My only plea for change involves the finish area. All I want is to walk or sit down. Shuffling in a crowd for 25 minutes was hell. The crowds getting there, at the start, and during the race were fine, and at that point I enjoyed the espirit d'corps. After 26.2, I wanted space.
On well, I will run this one as many times as I can afford it.

What an amazing race. I am in awe of how well organized this was. I am so glad my girlfriend said we should do it (we qualified in Vegas). The congestion at the end just can't be avoided, and the volunteers were FABULOUS. Imagine running with 43,000 people! Thank you, New York; this was an experience of a lifetime! I highly recommend it. Don't expect a PB at this one, but I was still pleased anyway. Hey, it was my 10th marathon! Happy anniversary to me!

I really enjoyed this race except for a couple of things. I needlessly worried about getting to the start. I used my own common sense (not their directions) and got there by subway, ferry, and bus with no problems. Bibs weren't checked until you got to Fort Wadsworth. The end was a mess. I hope they open up the park more for runners in the future. It was hard to meet your family afterward because of all of the congestion at the end.

Anytime you have to get 43,000 people to a particular place, and around a course safely, you're going to run into logistical difficulties. However, this was the third time I've run this amazing race, and each time I've been able to run faster and have a better pre- and post-race experience because of specific changes in the way the race is structured. So, the organizers are paying attention to people's complaints.

As for the race itself: like NYC itself, it's got plenty of attitude. It's crowded, it's noisy, it's diverse, and, as the song goes, if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere. It's a wonderful experience, and I'd recommend it to anyone.

If you run just one marathon in your lifetime, then make it New York. The organization is stunning considering the number of participants. The only suggestion would be to put a large marquee or two in each of the staging areas so that the runners can at least be protected from the elements. The organizers are not going to be able to please all of the runners all of the time. The course itself has a lot of inclines, and at mile eight, where the three starts merge, you do slow noticeably, so be prepared. Probably not a course to run a personal best on so just run it, enjoy it and savor the experience. A big thank you to all of the volunteers. The crowds are amazing; I thought the crowds in London were great, but they have nothing on New York. The spectators and runners doing the actions to YMCA in unison in Brooklyn is a sight that will remain with me forever. It is a slow walk afterward to collect your bag, but where else can the organizers put the trucks? The worst part was outside the park where crowds are waiting for their runner; it would help if they had stood on the right side of the road where the numbers were signposted. An even better idea would be to arrange to meet up away from the park like I did. After running a marathon, I do not expect to have to meander through crowds of people. This is not the fault of the organizers but rather a lack of consideration from spectators waiting. New York loves its marathon and I will never forget being part of the 40th running of this great event.

I love running the NYC Marathon but I feel that the number of runners in this year's race exceeded manageable levels and resulted in many problems at the corrals that I did not observe last year. I lined up in Corral E in the first wave as soon as we were permitted to enter. It appeared that many runners were closed out of entering the corral at an unusually early time, which resulted in many, many runners climbing over the fence - something either the corral marshals didn't notice or chose to ignore. I saw nothing like this last year. As more and more people jumped the fence, I actually worried that it might collapse, creating even more confusion. Finally, we were directed onto the bridge thankfully moving away from the corral scene. As for running in this size crowd, there was little opportunity to pass people (and pick up my pace) until mile 13 or so. There just seemed to be many more people than last year and the feeling of being crowded was more palpable further into the race.

Let me say that this is a truly magnificent marathon experience. The spectators are incredible, and First Avenue is a marathon experience all runners should have at least once in their lifetime. There just seemed to be more logistical issues this year. If the numbers of runners further increases next year, I'm not sure I would run it again, but I would not hesitate in telling anyone who has never run it that they need to run it at least once... no matter what.

I have run the NYC 15 times (and this was my 39th marathon overall). The New York City Marathon is about a spectacular tour of New York City, and New Yorkers (and visitors) at their absolute best!. It's a communion with humanity in the streets. And for that, I will always love this race!

The NYRRC has never cared about the rank and file. It's about making more money by squishing too many runners together. There was a huge bottleneck going into the race area, and runners' buses coming from New Jersey did not have their own dedicated lanes. Leaving the park after running so far for so long was totally aggravating; there were just too many people trying to get out of one exit. Food? For years, the food at the finish has been a disgrace - a pre-wrapped, preservative-filled plain bagel from Port Chester. Hello? New York City is the bagel capital of the world - The Big Apple. Try a small green one. Obviously running a marathon is not about the amenities or inconveniences but the crowding, the food, and the the nondescript medal (I will say the shirt has been one of the best) are all reflective of the fact that The New York Road Runner's Club is about the elite - and not local elite, mind you, but the top. (And money.)

The sheer magnitude of this race cannot be overstated. An epic race in an epic city!

The fans were great, and I am astounded at how NYRR put such a large race together, in a city that was not intended for such a large disruption. Fantastic planning, guys. Recommended for everyone.

My only complaint is that this race will make all future marathon courses seem a little anemic.