New York Marathon

I've been lucky enough to run the New York Marathon three times. I actually hit the lottery all three years in a row (although I had to defer once). How I got that lucky I'll never know, but I've absolutely relished the experience each and every time.

Of the majors, New York probably has the most logistics involved, and is arguably the toughest course. It's also the best tour of New York you'll ever be treated to, and the best crowds I've ever experienced. So here's everything I think you need to know about the New York Marathon.

Getting a bib

There's three ways to get into the New York Marathon:

1. Time qualify. The time qualifiers for New York are faster than for Boston, so you'll need to be speedy.

2. Lottery. The lottery has gotten more difficult over the years, with a backlog from both Hurricane Sandy and COVID cancellations increasing demand. Add to that the excitement around getting 6 stars and you've got an outsized number of people seeking bibs for the actual availability.

3. Charity. Getting in via charity for New York does feature minimums which are far more manageable than for Boston, but these can get snatched up relatively quickly.

If you're looking for the best way to get entry, it's probably the via charity.

Getting to the start

Before the race (typically in July) you'll need to declare how you want to get to the start and if you want to gear check.

The gear check is quite a bit of a hike from the finish (which already involves a rather long walk), so if at all possible I'd suggest bypassing it.

There's two ways to get to the start - the ferry and the bus.

The bus picks up from Bryant Park and operates on a specific schedule. You'll choose the time you want to depart. The nice thing about the bus is it's the easiest to manage - get on the bus, ride, get off the bus and you're there. It's not as scenic, and you need to board your scheduled bus. But if all you want to do is just get there then this is the option.

The Staten Island Ferry is more of a hassle but does offer some additional flexibility. First up, while you will "choose a time" for the ferry, this is not enforced. The ferry is still the ferry, and still operates for normal passengers as well. This means if you want to have someone join you for the ride over you absolutely can. It's also the most scenic, offering some amazing views of both downtown Manhattan and the Statue. However... After you get to the other end of the ferry there's still a bus to both queue for and take to the start. Without delays you should plan on the entire trip taking at least 90 minutes with 2 hours being closer to reality. There's also been stories of those who were stuck due to a ferry breaking down or other mishap. If you choose the ferry, give yourself plenty of time.

My personal choice is the ferry (it's what I've done all three times I've run the event). I'll hop on super early, and bring a mylar blanket to lay on when I get to Fort Wadsworth and just chill.

There's really nothing better than seeing

Lady Liberty on the way over

Before the event

The expo is at the convention center on the west side of the city. It'll be an absolute zoo, so prep accordingly. I find if you go later in the afternoon it's not quite as busy. They carry great gear, with their gloves being my favorite (the fingers have each of the five boroughs on them).

As a side note, there's a great pizza joint (Capizzi) a few blocks away which I always treat myself to after the expo.

I definitely recommend checking out the finish line area as well before the race. It's both a perfect opportunity to get photos, but there's a tent there with various memorabilia from prior races. You'll also want to see the last climb, because they absolutely make you earn the finish. The last mile spits has you in the park, spits you out of it, then you go back in, so being able to visualize that can be rather helpful on race day. If you decide to rent a bike to pedal the area, keep in mind that only counterclockwise traffic is allowed (and you will get yelled at if you go the wrong direction).

The best sight in marathoning

Start area and corrals

Fort Wadsworth is huge, and busy. When you get dropped off there'll be security but it's pretty quick in my experience since the buses produce a metering effect as opposed to everyone just rushing to the area at once. There'll be Dunkin Donuts served and the famous hats. If you want to score said hat you'll want to get to the start area early and prioritize it; they go fast. There's plenty of grass area to lay on (bring a foil blanket), and the portapotties are relatively plentiful (although lines will still get long of course). You'll likely get to the start area well before the race begins, so plan out your eating/bathroom accordingly.

The race is broken down into 5 waves, with each wave having 3 separate colors (blue, orange and green). Each of the colors will have their own start area, and different path to the start. While you don't have to hang out solely in your color's area, you will need to head there to follow to the right start. They do check bibs! It's a pretty long walk to the start, so I'd recommend trying to stay off your feet as much as possible. If you're wearing super shoes, I'd also suggest wearing a throwaway pair then changing when you get closer.

Speaking of the colors, each one follows a slightly different route for the first few miles. The key difference is the Blue and Orange go on the top of the Verrazano, while the Pink (Green in previous years) is on the lower deck. There's an urban legend about the liquid coming in the sides of the lower deck not being rain, but in all my times I've never seen anyone pull off to the side on the bridge to, umm, water the lower deck. After the bridge it's a bit different through the first neighborhood, but nothing which has an impact on the hills or experience. The Blue route is the one the elites run. I've personally only run the Blue and Orange, and it's what I recommend.

You are not allowed to move forward, but you can move backwards. You're seeded based on the time you indicated when you registered. If you want to let them know of a faster time, you can send over a half or full marathon from the last 12 months. I did this one year and they were super friendly about it. For stepping back, you can step back to a higher number area.  The order is Blue, Orange and Pink. So if you're in Pink but want to run at the top of the bridge, you can wait for the next wave and join the Blue, Orange or Pink. (The one thing I'd note is I believe they restrict the front of the corrals to those who were assigned to that corral.) The picture is from a couple of years ago, so still shows Green instead of Pink and only 4 waves, but the structure is still indicative of what it is today. The bib number groups is how you can judge if you're moving backwards or not.

IMPORTANT: They use a howitzer as a starting gun for the race, so that loud boom you'll hear is just fine.

Fan support

You'll have crowds basically all along the course save for three areas - the Verrazano, the Williamsburg neighborhood in Brooklyn, and the Queensboro Bridge. The crowds will vary between solid support to absolutely deafening. If you use headphones then wear the Shokz so you can still take it all in. Seriously - savor every bit of it; I've yet to experience a race with this level of support.

If you are going to have someone cheering you on, you'll need to coordinate a bit. It's always easier for the runner to spot their fan than the other way around. The crowds are crazy, so def recommend coordinating exactly where they'll be and what they'll be wearing. Have them hold a colored sign, or a balloon, or something to make them visible.

It is possible to see someone three times on the course, but it requires perpetual motion. You can spot someone by the Barclay Center, then take the 6 train up to about 100th or so (to get away from the densest of the crowds), walk over to 1st, cheer, to 5th, cheer, then meet them after the finish. The easiest thing to do is probably just identify one spot, then off to the finish.

Oh, and if you're one to put your name on your shirt, absolutely do it here! You'll hear your name for 26.2 miles straight!

Cheering on a friend from 2019 

It's always great to see the people you love!

The course

The course takes you through all five boroughs. Granted the only thing you do in Staten Island is run away from it, which many would argue is perfect. As you get into each borough you're welcomed by crowds and people who absolutely adore their hood. It's the perfect tour of New York. There's so much to take in. Here's my "quick" tips and breakdown.

Staten Island and the Verrazano Bridge

As I mentioned, the only thing you do is run from Staten Island. The Verrazano is the longest and steepest bridge; a mile up and a mile down. You'll have all the energy in the world, so that hill will absolutely cruise by. DO NOT run this too fast! It's a trap. Easy up, and easy down. Enjoy the view! There'll be lots of people taking pictures along the way.

Brooklyn

You're in Brooklyn for about 11 miles, starting right from the end of the Verrazano. The first couple of miles are residential neighborhood until you're eventually dropped onto Fourth Ave, which you'll run up until Barclay Center. Just as you get onto 4th there's a large underpass where there'll be a huge group of fans, and the streets will be lined with fans. It's a slight uphill through here.

Things will get loud and tight when you hit the area near Barclay Center, as you'll have a couple of quick turns and then head into residential neighborhood again. I personally find there's plenty of room to run because of how well they spread everything out, but this part here is a pinch point. It's also a common area for people to cheer their runner because of its proximity to subway stations, so you may see runners go diving to the side with little notice.

Once past there you'll hit the Williamsburg neighborhood and lots of brownstones. I personally love this part of the course as I adore the architecture. There's also just a weird feeling coming from so loud to so quiet. It's also sneaky hilly through here. I suggest just taking it all in, and getting ready for the next 5 miles, which will really test you.

Pulaski Bridge and Queens

The Pulaski Bridge represents (roughly) the halfway point of the race. The bridge itself isn't much (maybe a 5/10 difficulty rating). I kinda like its location as it's a perfect mental marker for where you are on the course. It takes you into Queens, which you'll run for a couple of miles. I honestly don't have many tips for Queens, except to say it's rather twisty with lots of turns. My brain typically wanders to Queensboro Bridge and what's ahead.

Queensboro Bridge and Manhattan Part 1

Depending on who you talk to, the toughest stretch of the race is either Mile 23 or the Queensboro Bridge. For me, it's the Queensboro Bridge. Its location at mile 16 makes it difficult to deal with. There's no crowds. You're on the lower deck, so it's tough to judge where the top actually is. And you don't get a gentle downhill reward at the end as you corkscrew down an exit ramp onto 1st Ave. While the bridge is the inspiration for Simon & Garfukel's "Feelin Groovy" song, it won't feel overly groovy. But it's manageable, and leads to possibly the greatest mile in all of marathoning. The best tip I can suggest is make a visual note of where the island is in the East River (Roosevelt Island), as it represents the peak of the bridge. Pop a gel beforehand, find good music, and just settle in for the climb.

And then....

Bask in the loudest scream tunnel you'll ever experience. The mile coming off the Queensboro Bridge onto 1st Ave and into Manhattan (for the first time) is famous even among elites. You'll also see runners forever in front of you, as it's (allegedly) the longest straight stretch in major marathons. It's generally flat, and the perfect opportunity to just take it all in, and realize you're running the New York Marathon after just tackling (arguably) the toughest part of the course. Resist the temptation to surge with the crowds. Stay within yourself.

The Bronx and the last two bridges

You run 1st Ave to the northern tip of Manhattan, then cross the Willis Ave bridge into The Bronx. The bridge itself is short, spikey and cambered. It's annoying, but quick. You'll then be greeted by a small but enthusiastic crowd for the mile or so that you spend in The Bronx. There's a few twists and turns through here, great fan support, and if you're hitting the wall they'll lift you up. While they may lack in numbers, the people out there will give you everything they've got in spirit.

You exit The Bronx on The Last Damn Bridge. There's a different actual name for it, but to me it's The Last Damn Bridge. There's (usually) a woman sitting on a lawn chair with a sign saying "The Last Damn Bridge" talking into a megaphone reminding you of the same. The bridge itself is pretty easy, and takes you back into Manhattan.

Manhattan Part 2

You're back in Manhattan with about 4 miles left to go. The first thing to note is you'll start to see a park in front of you which is not Central Park. Do not get fooled! But it does serve as a landmark to let you know where Harlem is, where you'll be greeted by music. The first time I ran it there was a gospel group out there, and street performers the next two times. Either way, you'll be treated to a performance, and I definitely recommend singing through Harlem.

After Harlem you'll get to Mile 23, which some people say is the toughest part. It's a long, steady climb. It's not a steep climb, but the location of it makes it particularly challenging. I personally find the crowd support through here to be amazing, so it's not as difficult as Queensboro to me.

You'll then enter...

Central Park and the finish

You turn right into Central Park at Engineer's Gate and enjoy (most) of the last couple of miles in the park. Central Park is my absolute favorite place in the world to run, so even with its rolling hills I enjoy every last second of it. There's plenty of things to see along the way, including the cougar. The one thing which might be a bit confusing is you will get spat out of the Park with about one mile left to go, run along the road, and then back into the Park. The crowds through here will be second to none. As I mentioned before, the last 400 yards are uphill, so just get ready for it. But again, it'll be so loud. And you'll have finished the New York Marathon!!

Post-finish

This is probably the toughest part of the race  You'll have to walk several hundred yards, most of it uphill. Even if you're not typically one to grab the foil I'd recommend grabbing one here. You're gonna get cold, and it's a long walk. If you didn't do gear check you'll have an earlier exit. If you do gear check you'll have a longer walk to get gear. Once you exit (and make note of the map where the exits are, because it's not as simple as walking out of the Park on a normal day), there'll be large crowds. If you're going to meet someone, set a spot a couple of blocks away from the exit to make everyone's lives easier.

Assuming you're doing the subway back to your hotel (or wherever you wanna go post-race), there will be stairs. My suggestion here is to just power through the first couple of steps and let momentum carry you the rest of the way. Assuming you go out for dinner/post-race celebration, absolutely wear your medal and your poncho - you'll get cheers. Restaurants/bars will be busy, but you should be able to find a spot to get into with OpenTable. I personally like Reichenbach Hall.

Related, Medal Monday is a thing in New York. Wear your medal as you walk around town. Central Park makes for some great photo-ops afterwards.

No better day than Medal Monday

Final thoughts

Take it all in. You're running the greatest marathon in the greatest city. You'll get a great tour of the city, see some amazing sites, and have the best fan support you'll ever experience. The GPS on your watch will very likely go sideways, so use the mile markers as your guide.

And good luck!!!!!!