I've run the NYC Marathon every year since 1990 and intend on continuing until I finally win it (I just need to shave an hour and a half off my time). Please e-mail your comments to andysheldon@yahoo.com.
Besides my page, check out David Richman's homepage about the 1998 NYC Marathon. He took a disposable camera along and has lots of pictures. Also check out Joe Osborne's page. If you also have a similar homepage, let me know and I'll include a link to it here.
By the way, if you think running 26.2 miles is a little nutty, check out this Washington Post article about a 3100 mile race.
In this section, I'll give you some basic info about the marathon; just enough so you can follow what I'm talking about on these pages. For more detailed info, go to the NYC Marathon Homepage at www.nyrrc.org/mar.htm.
Like all marathons, the NYC Marathon is 26.2 miles long. The race covers all five boroughs of New York (Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan and the Bronx) though most of it is in Brooklyn and Manhattan. The race begins at Fort Wadsworth in Staten Island (at the foot of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge) and ends in Central Park.
There are about 30,000 runners in the marathon. The winner finishes with a time of about 2:15 +/- 5 minutes.
There are actually 3 starting areas; blue, red and green.
By the way, the right half of the bridge's lower deck is used for traffic. The three groups are kept separate for a few miles but by mile 8, we are all running together.
Brooklyn You cross into Brooklyn and end up after some twist and turns on Fourth Avenue. You go for several miles on Fourth Avenue then wind around some more streets in Brooklyn. All of the neighborhoods in Brooklyn are so varied. You see Italian, Spanish, Orthodox Jewish...everyone. And the bands are playing all over the place. Where there's no band, someone is blasting music out their window. There was one place in 1997, where they were playing "YMCA" so, as we passed, we made the "Y", "M", "C" and "A" with our arms.
Queens When you get to the Pulaski Bridge, you cross into Queens. This is also the half-way point in the race. Most of the parts of Queens you see are industrial areas. There are not a lot of spectators here. But it's usually here that you first see the Sri Chinmoy people. They have 2 or 3 stands set up along the course and give out lots of goodies--bananas, orange slices, candy, bagels. It's great and much appreciated.
The race winds its way through Queens for a few miles. It's usually around here that the word will spread that the winner has already crossed the finish line. You've just gone a little over half way (well, he didn't have to fight the crowd at the start...yeah that's right...that's the reason). Finally you get to the Queensboro Bridge.
The Queensborough Bridge This is my favorite part of the race. It's a steep climb up and you're already very tired. It's very quiet because there are no spectators and the runners are no longer very talkative. So why is it my favorite? Because at the end, when you enter Manhattan, you make a left turn and it hits you like a ton of bricks. The noise. The cheering. The loudspeakers. The music. It's exhilirating.
Manhattan It's now about 16 miles done. You go up First Avenue in Manhattan for about 4 miles. The crowd along First Avenue is huge. And for these people, the lead runners passed by an hour earlier. Somewhere at mile 18, they hand out sponges. Before 1997, the sponges had that year's NYC Marathon logo on it so I usually save mine as a souvenier. In 1997 however, the sponge didn't have the logo so I tossed it. Shortly after you cross 90th Street, the crowd thins out a lot. At the top of First Avenue, you cross the Willis Avenue Bridge into the Bronx.
The Bronx You spend a very short amount of time in the Bronx. It's usually here that you see the Sri Chimoy people again. It's also here that you hit the 20 mile mark; aka "The Wall". You get to the Madison Avenue Bridge to return to Manhattan.
Manhattan II The next couple of miles is an endless series of twists and turns through Harlem. Finally, at about mile 22, you're on Fifth Avenue heading South. At mile 23 you enter Central Park. The trip through the park is an endless series of ups and downs, lefts and rights. The crowds are back, cheering wildly. At this point, I'm in a daze.
The Finish You hit mile 26 and wonder where is the Finish Line. It takes forever to see it. Finally, you see it. There's someone cheering on a loudspeaker. The volunteers direct you to a chute. As you cross, make sure to smile and raise your arms for the picture.
Recovery It feels great to stop. At the end of the chute, you give them your bar code and get your medal. You then get your space blanket, some water, and a food bag. I've always been surprised at how small the food bag is. There's not much there. Now begins the death march. They won't let you stop. So you're pushed along and now the pain and exhaustion is setting in. The chills can start here too so keep the space blanket wrapped tight. Finally you get your bag from the baggage bus. Eventually you get to the Family Reunion area to meet your family. It usually takes about 30 minutes to get there after finishing the race.
My 1999 finish was a little behind the pace I had set for myself to win the marathon. Now it seems I will win the New York City Marathon in the year 2021 (at age 66!).
Drink lots of water during the race but not a lot beforehand. This may be the only controversial suggestion I have. They always tell you to drink a lot beforehand. My experience is that if you do that, you start the race with a full bladder. So you spend a good part of the first hour of the race looking for a discreet place to pee. Women, of course, have it even harder. So what I do is wait until the start then drink at nearly every water stop. That water never gets to my bladder.
Don't stop until the finish. You can rest when you're done. In the 1990 marathon, I was stopping at each water table and walking a little. It felt like a nice break but it was very hard and stressful to get started again. As the race wore on, the breaks stretched longer and restarting became awful. Find a way to somehow keep going (see the next suggestion). Don't even stop when you get a cup of water; keep running (see below). Of course, if you're about to faint (see the 1993 marathon) or are truly in agony, stop. But don't stop because you just want a break. You'll pay three times over for each break.
Plan your mindgames to get past the "wall". Okay, what am I talking about here? Everyone talks about "the wall." It's real. Somewhere at about 18-20 miles, you'll have doubts you can finish. You're beat and there's over an hour of running still left. You'll need some mindgames to keep going. Here are two that I use:
Wear a shirt with your name on it. It feels great to have people call your name during the race.
Give high-5's to the kids along the path. It's like their energy passes into you with each high 5.
Have a change of clothes waiting for you at the end. I somehow stuff the change into the bag that goes on the baggage bus (you drop off that bag at the start and get it back at the finish). Besides the clothes, I have a beach towel which I wrap around myself so I can change right away. I also include a wet soapy washcloth to clean a lot of the stench off. It feels great to be in dry clothes. Just make sure you keep your medal around your neck.
Learn to drink while running. It's not easy. What works for me is to take each sip in two stages. First, with the cup squeezed so the lip's narrower, I pour a little in my mouth and let it sit there. Then I let it slide down my throat. I don't gulp the water. Figure out a technique that works for you but don't stop and walk in order to drink.
Experiment with nutritional supplements. For the past few years, I have tried taking along nutritional supplements to take during the race. I finally settled on Power Gel. I think it helps me. You should try it out ahead of time during your training to see how well they work for you.
Protect the chafing areas. Most runners know about this but I'll mention it anyway. You need to protect the areas that get chafed. For guys, it's usually the nipples and inner things. I don't know what are the problem areas for women. Use Vaseline to protect those areas.
Bring disposable sweats for the starting area. You're going to be waiting a while at the starting area before the race so bring something extra to wear that you won't mind throwing out just before the start (they gather the disposed of clothing afterwards to give to the homeless). Many people bring trash bags to wear. But what I do is go to a Salvation Army-type store a few days before the race and buy a used pair of sweatpants and sweatshirt. The total cost is usually about $4. To tell you the truth, they're usually in better condition than my regular sweats. But, on principle, at the start, I throw out the ones I get at the Salvation Army.
Use old socks if you need gloves. If it's going to be cold at the start bring a pair of old socks to use as gloves. When your hands warm up, you can throw them out.
Raise your hands and smile for the camera when you cross the finish line. It's a great picture. You want it to look like you had fun.
Big thumbs up to Andy Sheldon's "don't drink too much before the start" tip. I waited until 30 minutes before the start to drink my 16 ounce bottle of water. I avoided the long lines and was able to get to the start early.
Watch for the snack station in Queens ( I think just after the Pulaski bridge). I missed it and ended up getting lightheaded from hunger on the bridge. Be prepared to be hungry-- I was STARVING by the time I came over the 59th street bridge. Eat those bananas they hand out-they are filling, and have water, sugar, potassium and melt in your mouth.
Never underestimate the value of having friends and family meet you during the course. I started getting really tired at 16 miles, but knew that my wife would be there at miles 18 and 24 -- it really kept me going.
Eat those Oreos they pass out on the way into the park (and in the park) - anything to take your mind off those last few miles.
Hope that no one "double dips" into the Vaseline jars they hold out for chafing.
Marathoning attracts a lot of "Type A" personalities. If you are one of them, don't get too hung up on breaking the world record and try and remember to have a great time. The NYC marathon is huge party, for spectators and runners alike.
Whenever you have a spare breath, don't forget to thank the volunteers and the spectators.