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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 371 to 381]
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Ronald Deveau from Nova Scotia Canada
(2/18/2006)
"Dream come true" (about: 2004)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 New York City Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 First 20 miles I found easy. Then reality set in - I should have done a lot more long runs and extra weeks of training. Tough couse if you don't properly train for it. I will probably be back in four years or so. There are some mountain races I have to run first. | |
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Joe Rich from New York, New York
(1/25/2006)
"One of the best, but Chicago is better" (about: 2005)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 New York City Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The NYC Marathon is a unique experience, no doubt about that. For sheer size, it's hard to to beat New York. But a few things about it annoyed me. First, the start. You have to be at the starting area about 3 hours before the race actually starts, and you just sit there. It's annoying. The weather was not too bad this year, but I have heard in years past that it can be cold - this is New York in November, remember! I wish there was some way to get to the start right before and then line up after stretching, like you can do in Chicago. The course is impressive, although about half of it is in Brooklyn. The finish is amazing... it's hard to beat finishing in Central Park. The organization is really good, and I had no trouble with bathroom/water along the way. I live in Manhattan, so getting home was no problem. But, getting up at 5 AM for a 10 AM race makes for a LONG day.... Take a day off work if you ever run this one. The spectators are really good. The whole city turns out. The worst stretch was easily on the 59th St. Bridge - a dark uphill slog that lasts over a mile. But at the end of it you are greeted by wild crowds along 1st Avenue, which really push you along. If you ever run this, remember, this is not just a marathon, but a world-class sporting event similar to the World Cup or Super Bowl, in which the whole city joins in the fun. That's part of the charm, but it means long lines and wait times as well, so be ready. | |
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J. A. from Atlanta, GA USA
(1/24/2006)
"The summa cum laude of marathons" (about: 2005)
3 previous marathons
| 1 New York City Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Like New York itself, the marathon is enormous, charged, and a spectacle of millions, a bit intimidating to contemplate but wonderful in reality. The course is spectacularly urban, with immensely varied vistas of seafront, high-rises, old-fashioned residential neighborhoods and bridges as it winds through the five boroughs, except for the last few miles of forested setting in Central Park. The crowds are enormous, marvelously varied in accordance with the character of the neighborhood, and their eager spontaneous enthusiasm leaves one with the impression that New Yorkers are the most extroverted and friendliest of people. An unforgettable moment is the descent from the span of the 59th St. Bridge into Manhattan, where, on taking the bend onto First Avenue, the crowd is ten deep and roaring its approval at the stream of runners. The entire world appears to be represented both among runners (the Italians most memorably, for their antics and good cheer) and spectators, confirming the city's status as a sort of capital of the world. Organization is masterful, everything like clockwork. Because the start is on remote Staten Island, arrival is mandatorily early but the gun goes off at 10:00 AM, so one must plan on several hours of waiting, packed in with 40,000 fellow runners. My only suggestion for improvement is to have sports drinks at every refreshment station, and not at alternate ones. I'd think every marathoner should run the NYC Marathon at least once in a lifetime. | |
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Marty Franks from Cincinnati OH area
(12/25/2005)
"NYC Rocks" (about: 2005)
6-10 previous marathons
| 2 New York City Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 My 2nd time running NYC and will definitely do it again. Love the city, love the course. The 59th St. Bridge? It is serious gut-check time. Really need to put an ambulance there. Two years in a row I've seen a runner collapse on that bridge. Keep up the good work and whiners, stay at the house. | |
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KERL LAJEUNE from CHICAGO, IL
(12/20/2005)
"Next time, it will be for FUN only" (about: 2005)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 New York City Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 5 I was quite disappointed primarily with the start of the race. The long, long waiting period from 6:30am for the bus to the 10:00am start is brutal on a long distance runner. I praise Chicago for having such a well organized start and travel through the early parts of the race. NYC was fun to see and the spectators were cheerful. My biggest problem was finding the rhythm to start in the morning after the madness which dampened my spirits the entire race. The bathroom situation was simply unbelievable at the start and I now understand the excessive public urination by runners all over. If your finishing time is anywhere less than 3:30, you are better thinking of this as a fun race and a great way to see the various parts of NYC. | |
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j. w. from North Carolina, USA
(12/19/2005)
"it was everything I expected... and more." (about: 2005)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 New York City Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This race will stay with me for a lifetime. How can I run another marathon after experiencing the spectators of NYC? I shared my bus ride with an American from Miami...while killing time on Staten Island, I shared my Sunday 'NY Times' with an Australian, a German, a Scot, a Canadian, and an Icelander! Brooklyn and Central Park were beyond description. Please, PLEASE do something about the finish area..After running 26.2 miles we had to shuffle along for what seemed like another 26.2 miles to the UPS trucks and family area. I had to sit down 3 times.. But other than that, I loved New York. Thank you spectators for giving me a memory I will cherish forever. I repeat.... How can I ever run another marathon after this? | |
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K. H. from Stamford, CT
(12/16/2005)
"Greatest experience ever!!" (about: 2005)
1 previous marathon
| 1 New York City Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 WOW!! What a day and I still think about it almost 2 months later... it was everything I thought it would be. I train on hills so I didn't think the course was all that hard. My suggestion would be to organize the start better. I waited 1 hour and 20 minutes to use the bathroom, leaving me no time to warm up or relax. We actually had to get off the buses and walk to the starting line from the bridge to get there on time. Other than that, everything to me ran as smoothly as can be expected with a race that size. I truly felt like a super star and enjoyed every minute of it. My finishing photo was priceless... grinning ear to ear. The crowds were amazing and NYC showed us once again what New Yorkers are made of.... Thank you for a great day. :-) | |
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L. B. from USA
(11/23/2005)
"Only NY can do it!" (about: 2005)
2 previous marathons
| 2 New York City Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This being my second NYC Marathon, it's all about preparation way before marathon day. Either you are ready physically and mentally, or you are going to rough it or do a DNF. I thoroughly enjoy viewing my city from the marathon route; always a change. People are really gung ho and that is a plus. I will definitely do 2006. | |
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B. C. from Worcester, MA
(11/22/2005)
"Maybe it was better at 24,000 runners" (about: 2005)
11-50 previous marathons
| 3 New York City Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 I can't believe I just wrote that... meaning a race could actually be better if only 24,000 runners started. Yeah, it was something to be part of the 2005 record-breaking 36,500 runners but the NYC Marathon had more charm when it was less of a Cecil B Demille event. When the big sponsors move in... look for the big headaches. For example, at the blue start I stood about 4,000 runners back. Just could not get closer to the start. When all three colored starts merged at mile 8-10, I then was bumped proportionately down to 12,000th in 5 minutes. Nowhere to run or no way to break the crowd, it became one happy hour after the next at each Gatorade station as hundreds of runners just 'hung out' standing in the middle of the road. NYC streets are just too narrow for these types of crowds while 'happy hour' spectators are milling about along the course half lit. I remember the NYC Marathon as a "runners'" marathon a few years ago. I invite all runners to help keep this special race from becoming such a spectacle that it reaches 50,000 just to pay all the organization bills. NYC is the greatest of all marathons.... Let's work together to keep it from getting exploited. | |
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S. I. from Carrboro, NC
(11/18/2005)
"Well done for new race director, Mary" (about: 2005)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 New York City Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Great race! I moved from Staten Island when I was 9 years old and I came back to run the NYC Marathon for my 50th birthday. The volunteers, spectators and other runners were very friendly. (Though some runners ran like they were drving in NYC, cutting in and out, and you really have to watch your footing because of pot-holes, etc.) I trained in 80 degree weather in NC, so 60-70 temps were perfect for me. However, I'm used to breathing cleaner NC air - the sewers bothered me some and I was disappointed that there really wasn't much of the course actually in Central Park. Once again, I was unable to get a 'small' race shirt, we smaller women would like every race to not run out of this size. Best dramatic start across the bridge! I've run Boston ('02), Chicago ('03) and now NYC ('05). They all have something special to offer. |
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