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New York City Marathon Runner Comments
Back to New York City Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.7 
Organization 4.3 
Spectators 4.9
Number of comments: 604 [displaying comments 131 to 141]
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M. R. from Brooklyn, NY
(11/9/2009)
"An extraordinary, once-in-a-lifetime experience" (about: 2009)
4-5 previous marathons
| 3 New York City Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 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. | |
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S. S. from Warlingham, Surrey, England
(11/9/2009)
"It doesn't get better than this!" (about: 2009)
2 previous marathons
| 1 New York City Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 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. | |
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K. O. from U.S.
(11/8/2009)
"Great race... but..." (about: 2009)
4-5 previous marathons
| 2 New York City Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 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. | |
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J. V. from New York
(11/8/2009)
"Trust Me; You Did Not Miss Any Food!" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 6+ New York City Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 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.) | |
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M. A. from Avondale, Arizona
(11/7/2009)
"The most impressive race I have ever done ..." (about: 2009)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 New York City Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 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. | |
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alia Hassan from united states of america
(11/7/2009)
"An amazing experience" (about: 2009)
2 previous marathons
| 1 New York City Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I had an amazing experience and more. Our running group has never had crowd support like we had in New York. I didn't hit the wall and never felt tired during whole race. Hats off to ING and the organizers, and my heartfelt thanks to all of the New Yorkers. They are really the heart and pulse of our country. | |
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K. P. from Connecticut
(11/7/2009)
"Course changes - improvements" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 4-5 New York City Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my fourth time running NY. There have been some changes, most of them positive. On the plus side, they have removed some turns. A few blocks were added to the Bronx - nothing exciting - but some of the twists in Manhattan were removed. If not for a park on 5th Avenue, which they zig-zag around, the stretch from about 140th to 89th would be totally straight. A turn or two in Queens were removed as well. Also on the plus side, spectators were only allowed on the left side of Central Park's East Drive. This made it much wider for the runners. On the negative side, another few thousand participants were added and the start area is totally maxed out. It was very difficult and hectic to find the proper corral. The corral at the finish is very slow, and for some reason they once again set up professional photo ops only a few yards after the finish - bad idea. Overall notes: The course is not easy. Getting to the start is not easy. It's a long day, but it's incredibly rewarding - have fun with it. The crowds get better all the time. A third of the participants are European, creating an international flavor. About 3,000 each are French, Italian and German. | |
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b. w. from Hot Springs, Arkansas
(11/7/2009)
"It's the NYC experience" (about: 2009)
1 previous marathon
| 1 New York City Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 It's a tough course with steady inclines along the way. Nothing too steep, but the inclines are definitely there and there's lots of wind. Probably will not PR here. It took me longer than I had anticipated. No food at the finish. My husband showed up with a candy bar, and it was a lifesaver. And he bummed a bottle of water off of a cop. Having no food really is unacceptable considering how far people had to travel to get back to their/homes or hotels. Overall, the experience is great, and the New Yorkers gave me thumbs up and congrats all along the way - even for days after the race. Skip the pasta party; it required spending too much time in line on one's feet. And there are lots of great places to eat around town. Overall, it is amazing how they coordinate the race and how smoothly things go. I will do this marathon again for the NYC experience. | |
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J. T. from Edison, NJ
(11/6/2009)
"Awesome race again" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 New York City Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my second NYC Marathon, and 11th overall marathon. Amazing to see how they organize this: 44,000 runners, different languages, bridge closures, port-a-johns, volunteers, water stops, medical aid, etc. I agree that the funeral procession at the end is tough, but I'm not sure how to fix it either, since you have bag pick-up needed for all of these different runners. My best guess is UPS trucks on Central Park West rather than in the park. Concrete and bridges took a toll on my legs - which to me makes the course so tough. But crowds, volunteer support, choirs, bands, the site of NYC from the Verrazano Bridge and 59th Street Bridge all combine to motivate, however. This year I took a disposable camera and took some great shots. I recommend not trying so much for time on this one - tough start with the crowds and then the hills (bridges) - and enjoy the crowds and sights. Only downside: they changed the car drop-off location coming from the NJ side of Staten Island, and the traffic backed up and you had to walk farther to get to Ft. Wadsworth. Cars used to be able to approach closer and drop off better, but there was a big bottleneck where the cars had to turn this year. | |
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George (Ted) Hobart from Arlington, Virginia
(11/6/2009)
"Awesome Race, But NO FOOD at Finish!" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 New York City Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I loved almost everything about my first NYC Marathon. The course was amazing and the spectators kept me going all the way to the finish. The commute to starting the race was really long - I was walking, standing, riding the ferry and buses, sitting around for about four hours prior to my start. And sprinting to the finish was awesome, but finding out there was NO FOOD left was a real letdown. Running out of food is really unacceptable. Thanks for everything else. |
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