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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 171 to 181]
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J. S. from Upstate NY
(11/28/2008)
"Not ideal, but a once-in-lifetime, must-do event!" (about: 1999)
3 previous marathons
| 1 New York City Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 Pros: - The NYC Marathon is THE largest spectator sporting event in the world. Read that again! About 3 million people come out to see the race. The crowds never thin more than 3-deep, lining virtually the entire race course. The bands, the kids, the cheering, the energy... well there's nothing like it. - NYC is amazing; you run past and through iconic places, neighborhoods, buildings, etc. Amazing. Cons: - This is one of those marathons where you start one place (Staten Island) and finish far away at another place (Central Park, Manhattan). It is brutal to get to the start. My buddy and I awoke at 2 a.m. The buses to the starting venue left soon thereafter. Since the runners start the race on the Verrazano Bridge, they close the bridge at something like 5 a.m. to traffic. Thus you must be at the starting venue at an ungodly hour and then just sit there and sit there and sit there in numbing predawn cold, hungry, thirsty, and quite uncomfortable outside, just sitting on grass. There's no other way to describe this, it just plain sucks. Other marathons with easier logistics just have people show up 30 minutes before race time. Not here. You've got to be miserable, bored, and bone-chilled for hours before the race. And the waiting for porta-potties is not enjoyable either. - The field never really thins out. I ran nearly elbow to elbow with other runners for about the first 22 miles. That's just plain uncomfortable. Running 26 miles is hard enough, and adding the hassle of jockeying for asphalt and elbow room on top of that just isn't enjoyable. But what do you expect when you try to run with 30,000-40,000 people down a race course? If you really don't like claustrophobic running, consider a race with a substantially smaller field. | |
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C. S. from Chile, Santiago
(11/26/2008)
"The best hard marathon" (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 It's the best because the city, organization and people make the marathon experience. The expo isn't the best; the course is very difficult. Sure. The start, waiting, is horrible; and after the finish line, it's tough to see your family. But is NYC Marathon is the best experience than ever running. Thanks, NYC, people and cheers; you generate the top athletic challenge in the world. | |
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K. O. from Colorado
(11/22/2008)
"Experience of a lifetime!!!" (about: 2008)
2 previous marathons
| 1 New York City Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I ran this race for the first time and all I can say to other marathon runners is: put this event on your list of "things to do before I die." It was an unbelievable experience in every respect and I plan on running it again and again and again.... | |
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S. B. from Bergen County, NJ
(11/19/2008)
"Let's be honest here...." (about: 2006)
6-10 previous marathons
| 2 New York City Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 So it's New York, the greatest city in the world. I agree. But the greatest marathon? No way. Positives: I love the course. Very challenging for many reasons - the bridges, the hills, the crowds in your face. Lots of energy on the course, incredible spectators and fantastic views. Plenty of aid stations and medical assistance. Negatives: Does anyone really like sitting around for three hours? One year my bus broke down on the way to Ft. Wadsworth and we walked the last mile or so on the highway. Pre-race is a complete and total nightmare. The volunteers don't know what is going on and most don't really seem to care. Ask a question and if you do indeed get an answer, chances are it's wrong. Everything just seems so disorganized. I was lucky enough to be one of the women selected to be in the female corral, in the front of the pack. Well, to my surprise the corral was about 15% filled with men. Were the volunteers asking them to leave or NOT allowing them entrance into the corral? NO. In my opinion, Boston and Chicago are FAR better organized than NYC, and I've seen all three first hand. Despite the many negatives, you really need to do this race at least once. Where else can you join 47,000 other people in running across a bridge? COOL.... | |
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Helene Huckaba from Fort Worth, TX
(11/18/2008)
"Worth the Wait for 2008!!!!" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 New York City Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I waited a long time to get into this marathon and it was well worth it. The expo was huge and had a very large selection of merchandise. The pre-race area was nice, with bagels and coffee... I just wish I could have stayed warmer. A few more tents for the runners were needed for that chilly morning. The course was awesome and the fans were great! The finish through Central Park was amazing. The post-race walk to the bag check was very crowded and quite a long walk... but it was worth it to be FINALLY wearing an NYC Marathon medal. This marathon is a MUST-RUN!!! There is nothing else like it. ;-) | |
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P. M. from Tokyo, JAPAN
(11/17/2008)
"Wow, what an Experience!" (about: 2008)
First Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon and I have to say one of the highlights of my life. Where to start? From the excellent expo to the wonderful Friendship run on Saturday, I was already buzzing by the time I got to Fort Wadsworth at the ridiculously early time of 4:45 a.m. With 5 hours of queuing, I do wish I had brought even more layers than I had and I think the organizers could maybe do with some blankets or heaters next year if people are going to have to wait for this long. There were a lot of people who were visibly very cold indeed and must have used up a lot of energy before the start. This is not a gripe since people should ultimately be responsible for their own welfare - just a suggestion. The atmosphere at the start was great and personally I think the race was brilliantly organized. Yes, we had to walk quite a way at the finish, as people have mentioned; but I honestly can't see any way around this, and for people to moan about it is a little unfair to the organizers and volunteers, in my view, who did a simply brilliant job. The crowds were the star of the show for me. As soon as I stepped off the wonder of the Verrazano Bridge, I had the joy of hearing Brooklynites screaming my name. It was great all the way around, particularly 1st Avenue. And when I hit the wall at mile 19, it was really only the encouragement from the crowd that kept me running. Running through the 5 boroughs in brilliant sunshine, seeing the very best New York has to offer, was a great experience which I whole-heartedly recommend to anyone who might be browsing this, asking themselves what it involves. The whole thing was an awesome experience and one I definitely wish to repeat some time in the future (just got my entry for the Tokyo Marathon this morning!). | |
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SEAN LILLIS from FLORIDA
(11/16/2008)
"Best Race Ever" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 New York City Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The NYC Marathon is top-notch, period! If you only do one big marathon in your life, do this one. The expo was great - so much gear to decide between. Everything was such an experience from the bus ride to the start all the way to the finish in Central Park. The course was awesome and tough, but surprisingly fast (I set a PR by 8 minutes). The fans were terrific and the weather could not have been better. It was amazing to see all of the sites of this beautiful city during the course. The wait at the start and the walk to the baggage claim are acceptable; after all there are 40,000 people running this race. Plain and simply the best marathon experience of my life! | |
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s. m. from dalton, Ga
(11/16/2008)
"It does not get any better than this" (about: 2008)
1 previous marathon
| 1 New York City Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The organization of this marathon is apparent from the moment you are accepted. The regular emails keep you informed and pumped. Everything runs so smoothly for something this huge. The course is difficult, the runners from all over the world are friendly and jovial, and the spectators are nothing short of awesome. Over 100 bands dot the course, including dancing nuns in Harlem and ringing church bells in Brooklyn. Words do not adequately describe the moment. Crossing the mighty Varrazanos with fire boats pumping their cannons in NY Harbor, with the sounds of Frank Sinatra belting out "New York, New York" can choke up the stoutest of folks. Do this race before you do any other. | |
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L. P. from Michigan, USA
(11/14/2008)
"Best marathon in US" (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
| 3 New York City Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I have run the NYC Marathon 3 times, and 8 marathons in total. This is by far my favorite. The course is not easy - the worst parts are the Queensborough Bridge at 15 miles and a long, long hill at about 22.5 miles (which feels like it will never end). The organization is amazing, and the whole city treats you like a hero afterward - just wear your medal. I like the long wait on Staten Island because I don't like running right after I get up, and there is plenty of food and drink (bring something to sit on and something to read). Best of all, even if you have a lousy day running, you're still in NYC - go out and party! | |
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J. K. from Philadelphia
(11/14/2008)
"The best crowds" (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 New York City Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first NYC Marathon. First off, this race has the best crowds of any marathon, Boston included. There were hardly any dead spots with regard to crowd support along the course. Running the race is an extremely long day, given the transportation issues to get to the start. It was pretty tough to find water there, so bring your own. Lining up in the corrals about 40 minutes before the start can be rough too, if you didn't bring any throw-away warm clothes for the wait. I thought the wave start worked out well (I was first wave, near the end of the first color). By the first mile, I felt like there was enough space to get up to speed with my stride. The course is a little bit of a challenge. The bridges represent bigger hills than I would've expected. The toughest part was the bridge entering Manhattan; that is a long, slow climb devoid of any crowd support. The bridge entering the Bronx was a little rough since it was a grated surface covered by a mat, so your feet will notice it. The walk from the finish to the bag trucks is a bit long. I would've preferred to have the water stops set off from the mileage markers so it'd be easier to hit the lap button on my watch. I agree with an earlier poster that the 50% foreign field is probably a reason why the lottery odds are a bit low. It's definitely a race that every marathon runner needs to do at least once. |
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