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Apr 27, 2024

New York City Marathon Runner Comments

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Course 4.7

Organization 4.3

Spectators 4.9

Number of comments: 604 [displaying comments 21 to 31]

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seb 5thman from Wish I was in Paris, France but stuck in Denver (11/7/2015) "What An Amazing Event!!!" (about: 2015) 1 previous marathon \| 1 New York City Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Wow, where to start? The Expo was spectacular. Bib pick-up was a snap, very short lines, and superb organization. The run itself was far more than I expected it to be. Starting on the tip of Staten Island at Fort Wadsworth, then across the bridge to Brooklyn and the other burroughs where the crowds lined both sides of the street. Bands and music on nearly every corner, super funny hand-held signs, and thousands of high-fives and words of encouragement. All throughout the run. The energy of the crowd needs to be experienced because I don't have the words to describe it. The water & Gatorade stations were right where they were supposed to be at every mile. The GU station was easily located at mile-18, and there were bananas, cold wet sponges, and Halloween candy to keep you going. The only changes I would make: 1) the bus tour of the marathon route thru the NYRR was a big waste of time. It was supposed to last 3-4 hours, but at the 5 1/2 hour mark we were still miles from the finish line. Many on board the bus got off before the trip was finished. The 'historian' guide was short on information, and during the second half of the tour he must have fallen asleep because there was little commentary. 2nd) Runners spend a lot of time in the start villages before the run starts. When called to the start corrals we spent at least an hour standing while moving from one corral to the next. I knew about this before but it does add to the fatigue factor. Special shout-out to the New York Police Department for the exceptional job they did with security and traffic. Dido to the volunteers, especially at the water & aid stations. Overall, an absolutely amazing race.
M. G. from Arizona (11/5/2015) "Come prepared and w/ the right expectations..." (about: 2015) 50+ previous marathons \| 4-5 New York City Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 If you prepare, you'll enjoy this race a lot more. Know these things from the get-go so there are no surprises: The city is big and so is this race; it's the largest out there. If you don't like crowds and don't want to tackle huge logistics, choose another race. Expect everything on a large scale. The expo is big, but well-managed. Morning transports to the start line via the bus/ferry have long lines, but they move and are well organized. The staging area is very big with tons of amenities. It takes time to get 50K runners over there so expect a wait. Bring warm clothes/drop cloth/food and some patience. The starting corrals are very organized. The race starts on time and in four waves. There are five bridges to conquer. The first is the steepest and is over in the first mile or two. On the other side, you're greeted by the first of a MILLION+ fans from there to the finish. Water and Gatorade stops are long and consistent. The ARMY of volunteers are incredible. After 5 bridges and those million+ revelers, you'll finally arrive in Central Park. This is where you'll need your patience the most. Expect a long and uphill walk to retrieve your medal, post-race food bag, first aid, and poncho. This will take time and energy. Expect a 25-45 min walk through there. A reunion area is a further walk still. Once outside the secure zone, you'll need incredible patience and a game plan to find a taxi, pedicab, subway, etc. The warm ponchos are high quality and helps shield you from the day's chill. Expect tons of local media coverage and many updated Facebook posts. There are clocks at every mile. Results are posted quickly. There are 4 clocks at the finish line for all four waves. The medal is highly detailed. The volunteers at all events (pasta feed, expo, bus staging, pre-race village, start line, water stops, finish line, post-finish, and medical tents) are OUTSTANDING. On the day after, make it back to the park to get your medal engraved and buy finisher stuff if you're game. I'll say it again - be prepared for everything on a BIG scale. You're running with 50,000 others (many foreigners, too) and over a million will cheer you on (their signs will crack you up). Leave the headphones at home - the crowds and music will keep you going. There are many walkers and the field is crowded start-to-finish. With several bridges and some uphills throughout, don't expect a PR - this is an event to take in no matter your pace.
J. M. from Jacksonville, Florida (11/5/2015) "Best, most EPIC Race - Ever!" (about: 2015) 4-5 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 No other race compares to the NYC Marathon (and I have run to many races to count). Lottery participant in 2015 (1st time applying). Could find no fault with any portion of the event. Expo, transportation, staff, course markings, timing, medal - everything was professional and executed perfectly. YES, there is a long wait at the start - but, skip the buses and take the SIF (Staten Is Ferry). I took the 645am ferry, then shuttle to village, and arrived at 750am. My corral opened 30min later at 830am, and I was off at 950am. Yes, for those in Wave 4, there is a long wait (esp if you take the buses) - take the SIF and your wait will be reduced. Prepare for the hills of Central Park (and the Queensboro Bridge)..train for those challenges, and you will enjoy your race. Crowds are incredible. The entry fee is more than fair, when you consider everything that is required to shut down 26.2 miles of NYC for an entire day.
S. S. from Dallas, Texas (11/4/2015) "Fantastic Race" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 New York City Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The complete package, what's not to like. The city, the people and the race. Well run, organized, tons of energy. I felt honored to be running NYC. You can PR' given training, weather, all elements. I did BQ by nearly 9 minutes, lost time due to the first 1.5-2 miles because of a old garmin, I couldn't locate until 2 miles into the race. I enjoyed the race so much I really didn't pay attention to my time, I walked all over NYC for 2 days before. Go and enjoy the crowd support in unbelievable. Wear your medal after the race and on Monday, I had many New Yorker's say congrats! Do it if you can, for the experience.
J. A. from Panama (5/4/2015) "Great course, awful organization" (about: 2014) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 New York City Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 5 The main problem is they bus runners to the star line too early. Be prepared to wait around 4 hours to start running if you use the bus. There is nowhere to even sit (besides the cold ground) while you're waiting and nowhere to safeguard yourself from he cold. Runners were huddling together like refugees. Shivering in unison! By the time you get going you've spent all your energy keeping warm. So if you decide to take the bus, plan accordingly (blankets, food, plastic bags). Better yet, find a way to the start line that is close to your wave's start. Also, at the finish line, you'll have to walk about a mile to get to the checked bags trucks and then some more to exit the park. So when you're done you're not done!
M. M. from Greenville, SC (2/18/2015) "Can't wait to do it again" (about: 2014) 2 previous marathons \| 1 New York City Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Agree with all of the positive comments, and some of the negative. The positives far outweigh the negatives. Expo: Awesome. Crowded, but awesome. Course: It was cool to go over all the bridges and go through all 5 boroughs. Each borough had a distinct way of showing its pride, and its a great way to see parts of New York that you ordinarily would not. Fans: Unbelievable. From the church groups and scout troops handing out food, to the masses screaming as you enter Manhattan making you feel like a Beatle (or Justin Bieber), the fan support is unparalleled. Runners that were locals were also extremely friendly and helpful. Start/Finish: Start leaves some to be desired. The weather was miserably cold, but there was still a band and food and Gatorade. From the Staten Island Ferry, it took forever to get on the bus, ride on the bus, and get off the bus at Fort Wadsworth. I thought I was early, but had to sprint to get to my start corral. Got turned down for being 30 seconds late, and had to sneak into a corral with a nicer volunteer. The start area and transportation to it were pretty overwhelming, even with the planning I did. Finish was great. We had to walk a long way to get out of the park, but I get that. Security/tons of people, etc. I understand. The food/drink/medal we got upon finishing was awesome. Location: Unreal. Touring NY was fun, especially on Monday when you see marathoners all over the place wearing their medal. I'd agree with the sentiment that NYC Marathon and the city in general made us all feel like we were elite runners who were a big deal. Volunteers/Support: All A+. Too many good things to say about it. Only cons are logistics and price.
Wayne Wright from Palmdale, California USA (11/28/2014) "Big Run in the Big Apple" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 New York City Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 INTRODUCTION: I am a race-walker with a median marathon completion time of 5:15:45. The New York City Marathon was my thirty-first 26.2-miler accomplished. COURSE: It was a blustery day for a marathon, one that would prove to be a challenge for even the most elite of marathoners over the first twenty-one miles of the course: for the wave 4 starters, 9 mph northwest wind with gusts up to 28 mph, mostly cloudy skies, 48 percent relative humidity, and 45 degrees. We immediately departed Staten Island to begin our 164 foot ascent up the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, reaching the crest just before mile 1. We felt the strong cross wind from the west pushing us toward the right as we trudged north, and for those of us on the green track of the race, we happily did not encounter the feared organic aqueous solution emanating from the upper level of the bridge; nevertheless, the wiser amongst us stayed toward the inside part of the bridge on this part of the journey. Upon disembarking from the bridge, we entered Brooklyn, where we would spend the next eleven miles of the marathon on streets with little varying elevation changes. Just past the 5 kilometer mark, resuming our northward course, we joined the blue track marathoners, with whom we shared the northbound side of Fourth Avenue. Also at this point, the orange track marathoners ran alongside us on the southbound side of Fourth Avenue. And the fans started to make themselves heard. We stayed on this relatively straight and flat street until reaching mile 8, where we merged with the orange track runners and made a sharp left on Flatbush Avenue followed by a sharp right onto Lafayette Avenue, heading east, staying the course for a mile up to the 15 kilometer mark where we turned left on Bedford Avenue, resuming our northward trek. A slight left bend in the road marked our arrival in the Hasidic Jewish neighborhood in Williamsburg, where crowds were noticeably absent until we crossed over I-278. Arcing to the right three times and subsequently turning north on Manhatten Avenue at mile 12, we observed businesses owned by people with Eastern European surnames. A right on Greenpoint Avenue quickly followed by a left on McGuinness Boulevard, led us to the halfway mark of the race, represented by the Pulaski Bridge, which crossed us over Newtown Creek into Queens. Our stay in Queens was short-lived, as we stayed on flat ground navigating our way from the Pulaski Bridge to the Queensboro Bridge two miles later. Our westbound trek across the East River, on the overpass colloquially known as the 59th Street Bridge, provided the second steepest ascent at 90 feet over 3/4 mile. Devotees of Simon and Garfunkel likely slowed down, did not move too fast, and were not feelin groovy at this point; however, for those of us able to notice, we were afforded a scenic view of the skyscrapers of midtown Manhattan, including that of the distinctly appealing Art Deco style Chrysler Building. Now in Manhattan, we turned north on First Avenue, where we were greeted by an enthusiastic three-deep crowd as we approached mile 17. We stayed on the straight northbound avenue of little varying elevation, constantly facing headwind, for about 3 1/2 miles until we reached the Willis Avenue Bridge, eventually landing us in the Bronx, where we spent the next mile and a half on meandering our way over to the Madison Avenue Bridge back into Manhattan. With the wind at our back, we spent the final five miles heading southbound toward the finish line, initially on Fifth Avenue in Harlem. At mile 23, we encountered an ascent of fifty feet over the next half mile. Perhaps due to the tailwind or the crowd cheering us on, the climb did not seem to be too onerous. The mile 24 marker noted our entrance into Central Park, the most scenic part of the marathon. The foliage provided a distinct and pleasant contrast to the concrete, steel, and glass we had seen hitherto. Gently rolling ascents and descents on winding two-lane avenues described what we experienced until reaching Central Park South with a mile to go in the race. Now heading west, with Central Park on our right, we once again encountered the roar of the crowd which helped us along to our completion. At Columbus Circle near mile 26, we once again turned into the park, heading north, where we would reach the conclusion of our race. Temperature at the finish line was 47 degrees, fair weather, with 36 percent relative humidity and a north-westerly wind of 13 mph with gusts up to 30 mph. ORGANIZATION: Given the scale of the event and the logistics involved, the NYRR did an amazing job pulling this event off. I would recommend taking the Marathon on a Motorcoach tour: our guide gave an excellent narrative that included pointing out the course route and neighborhood landmarks, and providing historical anecdotes. FANS: In a word, unparalleled. If you require constant noise and distraction, there is no better marathon to run. CONCLUSION: It is often posted this race must be included in ones marathon portfolio. But why should it be? As a course, there is nothing extraordinary about it: it is not the fastest, it is not the flattest, it is not the most difficult, and it is not the most scenic. So why would people come from all over the world to spend a small fortune to participate in such an event. I would offer up five reasons: it is the biggest marathon race in the world set in the largest city in the nation, it is run by the best in the world, it has the loudest fans and it provides an experience unlike anywhere else. Well done, NYC.
B. O. from Ireland (11/25/2014) "A'Must Do' marathon." (about: 2014) 6-10 previous marathons \| 2 New York City Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was my second NY marathon. Learned from the last time & got the bus from the NY public library at a respectable 6.20am, arriving at Staten Island round 7.45am. Much better than the 5.30am ferry from the Battery. Wore lots of layers this time too so didn't perish in the intense cold while waiting to start. Great organisation & crowd support. The course goes round all 5 boroughs. Manhatten is spectacular but the other 4 are unfortunately grimy East coast industrial surburbs. Still, there is real atmosphere & razz-ma-tazz on the route. The post marathon walk out of Central Park is long though probably unavoidable given the number of runners. The queues at the registration/Expo are unacceptably long too. I think twice is enough for me although I enjoyed the experience.
L. P. from New York, New York (11/14/2014) "Always Fantastic" (about: 2014) 6-10 previous marathons \| 3 New York City Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my third NYC Marathon. I continue to be blown away by the army of well-informed volunteers and NYRR staff, the excellent logistical management necessary to get 50,000 runners racing, the beauty of the challenging course and the enthusiastic throngs of fans (who were still out there despite the over 20mph winds with 40mph gusts!). Could I do without getting up at 4:30AM for a 9:40AM start? What about avoiding waiting around in layers and layers of clothes for over 3 hours on FREEZING COLD, WINDY Staten Island? Or not walking SOOOO long after the finish to get your baggage? You bet. But NYC makes it all worth it. I've run other marathons (Chicago, SF, Seattle, Big Sur, Berlin) and no other race makes one feel like such an 'elite' superstar, no matter what time you run. That long walk to get your baggage is full of volunteers congratulating you, which makes it so much nicer. You board the regular city bus after the race and multiple strangers on the bus congratulate you and ask you how your race was. Its just amazing how welcoming the whole city feels toward the runners (yes, even post-Sandy fiasco). A special thanks to NYRR for putting in more porto potties in the start villages (a HUGE complaint of mine in 2011). And advice for anyone in the future looking at these reviews and running the race for the first time: bring more warm clothing than you think you need for the start. You can't wear too many layers or have too many handwarmers.
K. M. from MO (11/10/2014) "just ok" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 New York City Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 I didn't really enjoy the NYC Marathon as much as other big city marathons. I felt like everything was done for the convenience of the city and the runners were not considered. I don't know, it wasn't bad I guess, I just would rate other big cities (Chicago and Boston) as better in every category.

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