A great start a great finish and a great city

This was my ninth marathon and there were some good aspects and some bad aspects. Some thoughts: How can you go wrong with NY city - what a fantastic town. The fans were phenomenal. More impressive than Boston, which is really saying something. The bag return system at the end of the race was exceptional. I really liked the medals, shirts (although they were definitely girlie), and certificates alot. The course was far more difficult than I anticipated, with a lot of long inclines (the bridges). A friend of mine started toward the back of the pack and she said that the start was very chaotic and disorganized. The expo was impressive in its size but not terribly 'user-friendly'. Line after line after line. After the race, I walked off to the side of the stream of people to put on my warm clothes and actually got yelled at by a volunteer 'Keep moving. We can't have 35,000 stopping.' I ordered something off of the online marathon store and never received it, sent three emails and left two telephone messages without ever receiving any sort of response. I'm also not really a fan of getting out to the start of a race 5 hours beforehand and sitting around in the cold. Although, in all fairness to the race organizers, I knew that was part of the deal going in so I can't really say I didn't voluntarily sign on for that. Overall, it was a good experience and I would recommend doing it once but I don't think I'll be returning. I hope this helps someone. Happy running!

This was my first marathon and I never expected the high that I got from the NYC experience. I ran the marathon solo and I was a bit concerned about doing so since it is suppose to be a hard course. However, the crowds were amazing i felt like a running rock star with them cheering on the runners.It was truly the most amazing experience of my entire life.
A few great points: Comming over the Verazano into Brooklyn at the start was great. Running through Brooklyn and seeing all the ethnicity. Running over the Queensboro Bridge into Manhattan hearing the roar on 5th ave was amazing. Crossing from the Bronx into Harlem was awesome and then the final three miles in central park just knowing that you are about to complete the best Marathon in the world.
The race is crowded so run it for the experience and you will get so much out of it. I can remember hitting the 20 mile mark saying man I dont want this feeling to end in 6 miles and I want to keep on going. All I could think of it was: what 20 mile wall? The crowd takes you through the whole race it was a life changing event!

No marathon can beat the NYC Marathon! The pure thrill and adrenaline you get while and after running it keeps you coming back year after year. The fans and spectators on the whole course, except on the bridges where they can't be are WONDERFUL. Truly they push you along and make it the best marathon. Thank You! This is my fifth marathon running and true this past year there where some minor glitches, running out of goodie bags and Gatorade, long lines at the expo, but really those are not big deals. And can be resolved. And just to let you know you don?t have to be at the starting area three hours ahead of time. Maybe being a New Yorker I am spoiled for I know what train to take to the ferry to arrive at the starting line just in time to pack my bags in the UPS truck and head to the starting line, just as the race is beginning.

This was my first time ever running a marathon. The organization of this event was amazing! 32,000 runners and very little went wrong! I noticed that a few people complained about the first two miles and how slow people started too far up, but I really did not find this to be such a big problem. Surprisingly, there was a lot of room to move around these people, despite the enormity of the race.

The spectators were great! I would say that there was unbelievable crowd support for 23 of the 26 miles. The only places that lacked some support was the Bronx right after mile 20, and of course the bridges, which no spectators were allowed on. Overall, the crowd really helps push you on this race!

The course itself was beautiful! I'm a native New Yorker, but to see so much of the city by foot in all 5 boroughs was great! Definately do this race if you want to see the true diversity of the people and the landscapes of NYC!!

Overall, I would recommend this race to anyone! Definately a great first marathon, despite it being a little tough with the hills! Use the energy of the crowds to get you over the wall and just enjoy running the greatest city in the world! I hope to be back for 2003! :-)

This was my 5th NY Marathon (I've run two others), and it's a tough course - it really feels like a Marathon. But the crowds, especially in Brooklyn, Harlem and Central Park (1st Ave. is overrated IMO), will keep you coming back. The first mile or two is a mess because of the slow runners lining up in front, but otherwise organization is great, especially for such a huge race. Just expect long waits and long lines, and go with it for the experience!

This was my first marathon and I thought it would be my only one, but hey, I have to come back next year, it was so much fun I wouldn't dream of missing it.
As one of the slowest runners - it was dark when I got back - it might have been good to set me off earlier rather than have the dreadful queueing at the start, especially for the loo.
However, I loved New York and the crowds were fantastic. I'll be back!

I don't agree with some of the posting. If you want you can achieve a PB in New York. I improved my PB by 50 minutes down to 3:09!

The crowd was fantastic, that huge noise from the supporters if you come down the Queensboro Bridge was overwhelming. Running along 1st Avenue among millions of supportes is clearly an experience of a lifetime. The spirit along Brooklyn was amazing.

I was running a good pace and had lots of space after mile 2. I never had problems on aid stations. Perfect organisation, well done New York City.

A must for every serious runner. Love to do it again!

This marathon is a must. I don't know why people complain so much about the organization. The organization is great (how do you expect them to manage 32,000 runners?), the volunteers are very helpful, the water stations are plenty, the course is inspiring and the crowd is constant and lifts you (You should be able to give them 6 stars!! They are great). I was able to run the final hills at 26 miles thanks to the cheers. The bands thru some neighborhoods provided nice diversion. The cultural experience is also good. You run with people from all 50 states and from 100 different countries. My hint: don't take the bus at the Public Library. Sleep well, wake up around 6am, have a good breakfast, and take the Staten Island Ferry at 8am... ahhh... and don't cry (as I can see in some of other fellow runners comments) if you have to wait a couple of minutes without moving after the official start. Hello! This is NOT a marathon to SET a PR, there are 32,000 runners with you! It is a marathon to enjoy it and have fun!
My only complaint was the food after the finish line being real poor, just one banana and a horrible tasteless bagel hehe!!

I am a marathon veteran and just completed my sixth consecutive NYC Marathon. In reading some comments on the race posted here, I am a little dismayed. In a nutshell, the NYC Marathon is the marathon experience of a lifetime. Bar none!

Yes you will wait out in the cold for a couple of hours, yes it might take upwards of 10 minutes to get to the start line, and yes you will walk a half mile after the race to exit Central Park, but keep in mind, there are in excess of 32,000 people running the race! Considering the amount of entrants, I think the race is very well organized.

If you want a marathon where you can wake up a half hour before the race and stroll up to the start line and run, enter a sanitized corporate marathon like Disney, Des Moines or Duluth. But for a full running experience go to New York.

The entire experience is a metaphor for New York itself. You will have to wait in the cold for a couple of hours and deal with crowds of people doing the same. But dealing with adversity is what New Yorkers do, and it makes the experience that much more rewarding because once the race begins, the crowd takes over. Where else will you get the opportunity to run through, and be enthusiastically supported by, the most culturally and economic diverse neighborhoods in the country? The views are spectacular, the course is tough but the crowd is what brings you home.

If you want to set a PR go elsewhere, but for the best overall marathon experience, see you in Staten Island on November 2, 2003!