Things I Wish I Knew the First Time I Ran NYCM

Someone coming to the NYCM for the first time wanted to know about the busses, waiting before the start, etc. So - I'll give it a shot. I've run NYCM eight times, of course the authority is Daniel who has run the last 126 or so...

UPDATE for 2006:

Note: the Portland Square has changed hands and is no longer the deal it used to be. Be sure to check prices and shop around!

THINGS I WISH I KNEW THE FIRST TIME I RAN THE NEW YORK CITY MARATHON:

1. The pre-race requires more planning than most marathons!

2. You will catch a bus (probably at 42nd street and 5th Avenue - the NYC Public Library) to go to the start at Fort Wadsworth. Since they have to get 30,000 runners gathered over there the buses start running VERY early, like 5-530am. While this seems unreasonable, half the fun of NYCM is getting to Ft Wadsworth and watching all the people. PLUS you would rather get there, get off your feet, and have plenty of time instead of rushing in at the last minute, being stuck on a bus (at least one gets lost each year on the way over) while the starting cannon fires!

3. At Fort Wadsworth people will gather and wait for the start. It is an international village (10,000 of the 30,000 are international runners). There is food and drink there, 500 portajohns, the World's Longest Men's Urinal, and entertainment. You can do aerobics to warm up (not sure why, but you can) or you can just watch the aerobics team. There are huge tents set up, but they fill up early. 3a. The "busses you can wait on" I think were in race reports from places like Boston. You can't wait in busses here. Some folks do things like rent a limo to avoid the bus. You can do that, but you'll miss our Pre-Race Penguin Party!

4. That is where the Penguins come in. We (some of us anyway) will get there early and stake out a corner of one of the tents. We'll take drop cloths to spread out on the grass and hold those spots for those arriving later. When the tent begins to fill, it's hard to hold the spots, so you can't wait until the very last minute to arrive, but you don't have to be first. 2006 note: This depends on who is coming, and is dependent on the generosity of people like Daniel who get there early. If the email lists don't talk about this, it probably isn't happening!

5. Take old clothes and old blankets to Fort Wadsworth. You will have to wait 2-3 hours depending on when you arrive. Race start time is 10:10 am, you need to move out and on the bridge around 9am. Then you will leave the clothes and blankets behind for the local non-profits to gather for local needs. It's a great way to get rid of those old running clothes - or anything else. The first year we didn't know about the setup and just took an old warmup suit, but we ended up laying down on the cold cold ground out in the open. So find those old blankets and clothes or make a trip to Goodwill.

6. The coldest part of the run (presuming a normal day, not one where a cold front moves thru during the day) is the very start over the V-Z bridge. I save one last bit of clothing for that part, usually an old shirt or jacket and then I toss it to the crowd when we get off the bridge and in Brooklyn.

7. The corrals designate where you are SUPPOSED to start - there is an orange, green, and blue start. Just accept what you get and then we'll explain to you when you get there what really happens, which is we all decide from the tent where we want to run and just go there! You do NOT want the Green Start - it's on the bottom of the bridge. Golden Rain, if you know what I mean. Blue and Orange start on the top of the bridge.

8. Plan to wear a shirt that is light colored and write your name on it. If you prefer a dark shirt, use something like white adhesive tape for your name. NYCM is a "26.2 Mile Standing Ovation". The 2.5 MILLION spectators will call your name every single mile. No matter what the pace you are running, they will be there, and they will NOT let you quit! I have finished NYCM in times ranging from 4:13 to 6:15 and the crowd support has ALWAYS been there, all the way through. It is incredible.

9. You can take warm dry clothes to put in a UPS bag (which you will be given in your race packet) and take to a UPS truck at Fort Wadsworth. When you finish in Central Park, you will walk past the finish line to your truck and pick up your warm duds. You will NOT be able to flop down right after finishing (that's a good thing). There are medical tents there, but if you can still move then you just keep on walking to find your UPS truck and then exit the park. Your walk will be 1/2-1 mile after the finish line. It sounds tough, but in the long run it's a big help.

10. After you finish you can ride the subway for free as long as you are wearing your medal or race number.

11. There is water and Gatorade every mile beginning at mile 3 (mile 1 and 2 are on the bridge!). There are usually gels at Mile 18. Of course, you can stop at a deli almost anywhere in New York, so that's always an option!

12. The highlight is the Penguin/Deads Dinner at 4pm on Sat hosted by Daniel. He sends an email to the running lists.

NYCM is SO special, SO unique, SO incredible, it is an experience that any runner who is willing to train for that distance must share at least once in their life.

One last note - NYCM is NOT a PR course. It's actually a pretty tough course, but the crowds make it even harder to run faster than those around you. BUT the main reason it's not a PR course is that you do NOT want to rush it. You want to savor every minute of the experience. Take a disposable camera, high (ore low) five some kids, dance with a stranger, join the choir on the steps of the AME Zion church in Harlem. Seize EVERY moment....

We'll see you there!

ron horton

Then Sue from Buffalo, NY asks:

....what do you think about the course? Pretty hard? Hills? Flat? Just hard to run with the crowds? Do you spread out at all?

Bringing this reply:

One thing for sure: You are going to have a GREAT time!

The course is NOT flat, but it ain't no mountain marathon either. The biggest hill is the first bridge (Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, right at the start) but you won't notice it because (a) you'll be walking part of it until you get going with the crowd and (b) you will be carried away by the emotion of the start.

Here is the course in shorthand:

Mile 0: Stand in the middle of 30,000 people, hear the national anthem and feel the cannon blast. It is "The most electric moment in sports." Imagine the SuperBowl Kickoff, the start of the Coca-Cola 600 or the Indianapolis 500, or the World Cup final - the difference is YOU are on the field. YOU are at the starting line. YOU have separated yourself from the masses of those who watch. YOU are on the starting team!

Miles 1-2: Start on the V-Z bridge. Let the crowd carry you up and over, look to your left and see the skyline of Manhattan. Look below and the fireboats are shooting up streams of water - one red, one white, one blue. They are saluting YOU.

Miles 3-8: 4th Avenue in Brooklyn. The crowds line the streets, bands playing on the corners, you are adored, your name called by everyone (if you put it on your shirt). The course is pretty straight here, divided boulevard, the starts are separated until mile 8. Gently rolling, no huge hills here.

Miles 9-13: The three starts join each other just past the tallest building in Brooklyn. Now the course turns through the neighborhoods in Brooklyn, brownstones pressing near the course as it narrows to tree covered streets. You'll pass a Public School Band in Brooklyn that plays "Rocky" over 300 times on this Sunday morning! Again, no huge hills - around mile 11 one year a fellow runner turned to me and said "that couldn't have been mile 11! It feels like we just started." Such is the energy of this event.

At mile 13 you hit the next big hill - the Pulaski Bridge into Queens. The halfway clock is on the bridge.

Miles 13-15. Queens. Part neighborhoods, part industrial areas. A little more open, though you do get some shade when you pass thru the neighborhoods.

At mile 15 you hit the "other" Big Bridge. It's the 59th Street Bridge (according to Simon and Garfunkel), aka the Queensborough Bridge (Noo Yawkers, correct me if I miss any of this) and it takes you over the East River from Queens to Manhattan. It is LONG (over a mile) and it will remind you "oh yes, this IS a marathon"

Once you come down the bridge you make a 270 degree left turn and end up on First Avenue.

Miles 16-20: 1st Avenue in Manhattan. Simply Amazing. The crowds will pick you back up. This section is along a wide Avenue, some long gradual climbs but nothing steep. Crowds gradually thin as you leave the Upper East Side and run through Spanish Harlem. Still plenty of support. Watch for the Killer Squirrels playing LOUD on the right side of the street.

Mile 20 is just after you cross a flat bridge into The Bronx.

Mile 21 Comes just after you leave the Bronx on another relatively flat bridge! That's right, less than a mile in the Bronx. You can see Yankee Stadium from the course if you know just where to look as you cross the bridge to leave.

Miles 21-23: Through Harlem, neat neighborhoods, turns around a big park. Pretty flat.

Around Mile 23 you enter Central Park. Shade. Hills.

Miles 23-25: The Hills Of Central Park. They roll up and down, but I don't think they will bother you because either (a) you are so dead it doesn't make any difference or (b) you are so stoked that you are almost finished that it doesn't make any difference or (c) all of the above! Falling leaves, BEAUTIFUL here. The crowds remain unbelievable (I keep saying that, don't I?). Read my report from 2000 about how my "high-five muscle" cramped during this stretch.

Mile 26 - For the last mile you come out of Central Park on Central Park South and run (flat) in front of the Plaza Hotel and the NY Athletic Club. Then you turn right at Columbus Circle and re-enter the park. Downhill, then the last few hundred yards are uphill to the finish. But it doesn't matter - the bleachers on both sides are full of people who paid $125 each to watch YOU finish!

It will be pretty crowded for a great part of the first half of the course, a little more crowded the faster your pace. As with most marathons, it stretches out the further you go.

Again...don't worry about pace. Just enjoy the experience.

ron

RunAbe adds:

You have NO IDEA of the feeling when you are running up 1st Ave to the sound of the people who I call the MANIACS!!!!!!!!!!!!! You get so pumped that you do not realize it As far as running along Central Pk South you are so SHOT!!!!!!!!!!!!! That the cheering sounds like a ROAR!!!!!!!!!!! The best part is when you enter the park again and see the finish I have a lot of emotions at the point first I am glad to see the finish and also sad that this PARTY that is the NYC Marathon is over again for this year and I will have to wait another your for it I have run 10 already this year #11

Abe

Carol from Germany adds:

My thoughts on the hills, well, the hardest were the Pulaski Bridge and the Queensboro. The Verrazano, 5th Ave and also 1st Ave are NOTHING because the crowds are so nutty, you don't even think or notice any hill. Well, that was my experience. I found the toughest part of the marathon was Queens.

You are not there long but there is not much crowd support and the bridges are empty which then makes you think, damn, this is hard. Once you get over the Queensboro/59th St Bridge, the crowds are so huge that any stress you had is way gone and you just go nuts. I lost my voice screaming back to the crowds, I danced in the streets, chatted with my friends, it was GREAT!!!! The Bronx is also a bit hard but I had my sis with me for that part so we chatted and she kept me going.

Funny story. She started running with me around 1st Ave and 90th St. So we are talking and people are yelling my name and I am waving and I also hear,..... FOR MILES,.... GO LA!!! After about 4 miles I am like, J (that is my sis), there must be someone behind us from LA, that is all everyone is yelling. DUH!!! I didn't notice she had my Dad's LA Dodgers hat on because all her stuff got lost on the flight over and had to borrow stuff. Well, did we laugh. She enjoyed everyone cheering her on also. It was fun.

I would highly recommend wearing a shirt with your name or something on it. Everyone will yell out at you and there is nothing like it. Don't miss out on that. Also, not only are the crowds great but the runners are great. I sort of passed and then met up again with the same runners and we chatted and it was great fun. I talked to so many people, really, it is a great experience. I mean, hey, it is New York, nothing can compare.

Cher from Ohio chips in:

First of all, I second everything that Ron says about the NYCM. Hills? What hills? The course is relatively flat, and where it's not the crowds certainly make up for it.

The 2 hardest spots on the course, IMHO, were the bridge into Queens and the Queensboro bridge into Manhattan. Both bridges are L-O-N-G. Lots of folks are walking at this point. However, as you near the end of the Queensboro (59th St) Bridge you start hearing a low roar. The roar then gets louder and Louder and LOUDER! As you come off the ramps onto First Ave in Manhattan, the crowds become deafening. I'm getting goosebumps thinking about it now!! I literally floated all the way down First Ave. No effort involved.

There are a few lonely stretches thru the Bronx and Harlem, but you quickly return to the Upper East Side where the folks are out partying and cheering en masse. The crowds were super all the way along the Eastside of the park. The excitement builds as you enter the Park. More crowds along Central Park South. You round the corner at Columbus Circle, a point that you will no doubt recognize from watching the winners enter Central Park in other NYCM's. A short uphill stretch, to the finish line. This is the only marathon that I've ever run where runners were handing their cameras off to people in the crowd in order to have their photo taken IN FRONT of the finish line.

My immediate thoughts after finishing last year's NYCM, when can I do this again? Thank God it'll be this November!!!

For those of you that like crowds. I've run Marine Corps, Chicago, Boston, Columbus - none of the crowds at these marathons come close to the crowd support in NYC. In Boston you hear about the Wellesley girls. First Ave in Manhattan is a three mile stretch of "Wellesley girls." It is un-freaking-believable!!

Can't wait to see everyone in NYC!!!!!

Cher in Oh

Lauren from Ohio offers VERY good advice (ladies, read closely):

New York City Marathon - How to Survive Ft. Wadsworth

What to wear. The clothes you plan to run the marathon in. Add several layers of throw-away clothes to that. Over my running clothes I wore a longsleeve cotton t-shirt, 2 sweatshirts, and a plastic raincoat. I wore throwaway sweatpants over my shorts ($4 at Walmart) with the ankle seams cut and held back together with safety pins (to get them over my shoes easier). This and a space blanket kept me warm enough during the 3 hour wait.

Packing. Pack 2 bags, both in clear plastic. The first bag is the bag you will check at the UPS trucks and pick up after the marathon is over. Use the clear bag that is handed out with your bib packet. This bag should include the clothes you want to put on after the marathon. I suggest that you put in long pants with zippers at the ankles and you unzip the zippers before you put them in the bag. I was so cold when I picked up my bag that I couldn't figure out how to put my pants on over my shoes. Optional would be a bottle of gatorade and a salty snack.

The second bag is stuff that you will need during the race or stuff that you will leave at Ft. Wadsworth. This includes sunglasses, camera, food, drinks, extra old warm clothes, 2 space blankets. If you are female and want to try the personal portapotty idea (see below), add several large plastic cups, plastic grocery bags, and small bottle of hand sanitizer. Pack this in a separate clear plastic bag and then put this bag inside the larger first bag.

Ft. Wadsworth. When you arrive at Ft. Wadsworth, go directly to the "Penguin Condo." Select a spot to hang out and drop off the bag with race stuff/food, Immediately take your check-in bag to the UPS trucks. It is important to do this EARLY. If you wait, more and more runners will arrive and the entire outdoor area will resemble the scene in "Gone With the Wind" where Scarlett goes to the train station and there are bodies laying everywhere. It is much easier to get to the trucks and back to the condo if you go EARLY (obviously I didn't do this last year and regretted it!)

Now, go back to the Penguin Condo and hang out. I suggest that you pack 2 space blankets (you can buy them at online camping stores if you don't have leftovers from previous races). Put one space blanket on the ground to keep the cold from coming up. Wrap yourself up in the other one. Hang out, eat, or try to sleep or rest.

Food. I suggest that you bring whatever food you know you can tolerate before a run, and bring more than one thing. Perhaps crackers won't appeal to you, but Fig Newtons will. Remember that the race starts 2 hours later than most marathons, so you will need more to eat than just breakfast.

Personal Portapotties (for women). I spent 1-1/2 hours standing in line to use the portapotty twice. While I was waiting, I saw 2 women nearby who had invented their own version of a personal portapotty. They used large plastic cups and put them down inside their shorts. The activity was covered by their sweatpants, but I could tell what they were doing. They used the cups to pee in, and then tied the cup in a plastic bag and threw it away. Just an idea.

Lauren in Ohio

Kelly from Toronto adds to that: One more potty piece of info that I learned from Ellen H. last year: At the 1 mile marker there are some concrete barriers on the right just as you come off the Varrazano Bridge. Perfect for crouching behind, leaning up against for a girl's pit stop There was a long line of us with many sighs of relief!!! Kelly in Toronto

Of course Lauren can't resist a reply:
Carol Schoaff and I stopped there last year and our good friend Ron Horton took a picture! I am still struggling to take off my stupid sweatpants (note to self, remove sweatpants BEFORE start of race) and Carol is hidden by the concrete barrier, but you get the idea of what is going on. The pic is very funny, as it shows thousands of runners to our side streaming off the bridge and not looking at us, and a policeman very nearby very carefully looking the other way so as not to disturb our "privacy." [webmaster's note - the picture may be found by clicking here - it's the last picture, at the bottom of the page] Oh, and Kelly didn't mention that there were helicopters flying overhead at his point too. :-)

Lauren

Carol then offers a tip and a link:

>ps For first-timers....listen up... bathroom logistics are a subject of critical concern before a >marathon, especially one that starts late.

And here is an already made alternative to the plastic cup......but it is pretty expensive.......think I will go with the throw-away cup....but if you travel or camp or otherwise this might be handy...... http://www.freshette.com/usage.htmlCarol

Carlene asks: Okay... I've made reservations at the Portland Square. Question... if I were flying to NY which airport would I want to go to? Does anyone have a clue? (I certainly don't.) Expedia wanted to send me to Newark. Round trip from Ottawa to Newark was $350 Canadian. When I looked at buses on the US Greyhound (Canadian couldn't seem to find my schedule-destination combo) a round trip was $180 US. Given the price similarity I think I'd rather fly. I just need help figuring it all out.

Julia (from Boston) answers:

You can fly into Newark, LaGuardia, or JFK.They have their advantages and disadvantages. If you are not planning to rent a car, you can fly into any of the three. From Newark, I believe there is a shuttle service, car service, or Bus service into the City as well. I don't know anything about this than that. I think that you can get to JFK by subway. I would go with the cheapest flight - regardless of which airport you choose you will sit in traffic or deal with the subway, although I don't think I would ever fly into JFK if I could help it. I do know that JFK is a pain. You have to take the Van Wyck and sometimes the traffic is backed up for at least an hour or more. Harriet and I always try to use LaGuardia but we also drive to and from the airport. It's faster. Perhaps one of the NY people can provide a synopsis of the three?

Ellen (from NYC) then chimes in:

You should be fine flying into Newark. I live in midtown NYC (not far from where you'll be staying) and I always try to fly in or out of Newark. You can catch a train straight from the airport to Penn Station in Manhattan. It runs fairly regularly and costs about $11.50. By taking the train you can avoid all the traffic problems--it usually takes us about 25 minutes between the airport and Penn Station. Just follow the "rail link" signs at the airport. There is also a bus that runs from Newark to midtown Manhattan (various points) every 20 minutes. The cost is $11.00 and it's an easy ride but it will take a little longer than the train because of the traffic getting through the tunnels. LaGuardia and JFK both have bus transportation but it's a little bit more of a hassle than Newark and will eat up more time. Not a huge deal, but if all else is equal you would almost certainly be better off going into Newark. Once you're at Penn Station your hotel is a short walk (if you don't have lots of luggage) or a quick hop on the subway if you prefer to ride.

NOW - wasn't all that helpful????