Tips for a NY first timer

Waiting for the start is a bit of a marathon in and of itself. The start area is noisy. They are blasting race instructions in a bunch of different languages. They also have a band stand with music starting about an hour before the race starts. I wished that I had some ear plugs just so I could enjoy some peace and quiet while waiting. Also, bring extra layers and a throw away blanket or two. It is not easy to keep warm when you are sitting outside for three hours. Whatever you think is enough clothing, add a layer or two. Bring something to read or some crossword puzzles to keep you occupied. Don't spend the whole morning chatting with other runners.

Going to the corrals is pretty easy. You do not have to wait that long in the corral. If you are in corral 1, you will be able to hit your pace going out without much trouble.

Roy speaks truth.

Perfect situation is a massively heavy throwaway blanket - that you can just tuck under and hang out.

Your temptation will be to walk around to see the show, but in a competitive sense, better to sit down and watch the world walk by.

bring some plastic to sit on if the ground is wet - a couple of big plastic garbage bags works.

Just thinking about the carbon footprint of NYCM - people flying in, driving in, throwing away tons of useful stuff, all those cups and posters and whatnot...probably worse than a F1 race.

Course will be tougher than you expect. Start planning on a 2:55-3:00 marathon now.

Cali -

Actually - I agree with you, that's why I'm planning on 2:50 to 2:52. I'm in otherwise 2:45-2:47 shape right now. I am not looking forward to the return trip from the Bronx back to Central Park South, and I would like to finish in some kind of upright fashion.

And thanks for the other suggestions everyone!!

of course the classic NYCM piece of advice is to chill on 1st avenue - it can be such a rush and you could be feeling so good that you screw down the pace, screwing up your race. instead, wait 20-30 minutes, then try moving faster.

Here's what I learned running it:

Ditto on the start area - find a quiet spot and relax. I brought an inflatable pool mattress for cheap and used that to rest up on. Bring a wide mouth gatorade bottle (if you are a guy) since once in the corrall it's still almost a half hour before you go and nature may call.

I thought I'd add some info on the course itself as well since I think NYCM is a tougher course than it is given credit for.

First mile is uphill and second mile is downhill. I think I had almost a minute differential on the miles when I ran, and ended up in the 2:49 range to give you an idea of pace.

2-16 is a non event, enjoy the neighborhoods

You gotta really control it when you come off the bridge and run up First Ave. The crowds are very motivating and it's easy to start running 10-15 secs faster per mile without noticing.

Harlem it all dies down and you can take inventory before the last few miles (hopefully you didn't pick it up on 1st ave otherwise here is where you'll have the "oh crap" moment).

There is a slog uphill before you enter the park...sort of NYCM's version of Heartbreak Hill (though not as steep/long). About mile 23 I think. The elevation profile doesn't look bad but I remember when running it that it took me by surprise.

The Park itself is rough. You're either running uphill or downhill the whole time. It got very painful for me.

Overall, it is indeed a spectacle.

I have run it 12 times and I affirm all the advice above -- it's top-notch.

Couple of other observations --

-- To give you an idea of what the Mile 1 hill is like, back when the race had pacers, one year the 4:50/mi pacer was instructed to do the first mile in 5:10. So easy does it. The favorable gravity in the second mile refunds everything you give away in the 1st mile.

-- Do not zigzag in the first mile to try to "break out" into clear running room. It's hazardous, wastes a LOT of energy, and usually accomplishes nothing. At 2:40s pace you should be able to run comfortably and largely unobstructed by 1.5mi.

-- Coming down the 59th Street bridge to get onto First Ave, mind your stride - that downhill is "sneaky steep" and gets steeper toward the bottom and I've known some strong runners who have pounded out their quads over-striding that downhill and subsequently taking off in the rush on 1st Ave.

If it's not too late to back out, take the free Staten Island Ferry, say the 7:30 or 8AM ferry, instead. You will be in Staten Island ferry terminal in 30 minutes; 3 to 4 miles away from starting line, no more than 15 minutes by public bus (may even be a free shuttle that morning)

You'd get a few extra hours of sleep and you can relax during the ferry ride.

Also running, and am wondering if I can take a later ferry to get to Staten Island?? I am supposed to take the 5:40am which is ridiculous considering the 9:50am start.

Will I not get a lift from buses if I get take, say, the 7:00am ferry? I really don't want to wake up at 4am just to stand in the cold for hours..

Convexity wrote:

Here's what I learned running it:

Ditto on the start area - find a quiet spot and relax. I brought an inflatable pool mattress for cheap and used that to rest up on. Bring a wide mouth gatorade bottle (if you are a guy) since once in the corrall it's still almost a half hour before you go and nature may call.

Do you just whip it out and piss in the corral while sorrounded by other runners? And then what do you do with the gatorade bottle?

I have never run this race but i am having a tough time imagining being in the corral and pissing in a gatorade bottle.

mellow seeds wrote:

Convexity wrote:

Here's what I learned running it:

Ditto on the start area - find a quiet spot and relax. I brought an inflatable pool mattress for cheap and used that to rest up on. Bring a wide mouth gatorade bottle (if you are a guy) since once in the corrall it's still almost a half hour before you go and nature may call.

Do you just whip it out and piss in the corral while sorrounded by other runners? And then what do you do with the gatorade bottle?

I have never run this race but i am having a tough time imagining being in the corral and pissing in a gatorade bottle.

dude, people are peeing on the concrete at the start - you see mystery puddles seeping all over the place. You crouch down, you slide the equipment out of your liner and you let go.

If you have a bottle you are in the polite 1%.

if you are on the bottom level of the bridge you are sprayed by loose urine for the first 2 miles.

These are great - thank you.

I had really planned on mile 1 - just focus on hitting good turnover but with light push off .... if the goal pace were, say 6:30, a 7:00 mile is not hte worst thing in the world ...... I've run Boston enough times to know that you have to expect a 15 second drop off on each of the hills, perhaps 10 on the Johnny Kelley hill and 20 on heartbreak. That's just the way it goes.

That downhill from 59th though - that's good to know.

And with First Ave, I plan to treat it like Wellesley College. Make sure the stride and turnover is consistent. Keep the pace in check. Hopefully enjoy the fact that it feels a little bit easier for a few miles and start thinking about fueling for the last 10 miles.

You don't have to take your assigned ferry. Last year I was assigned the 6am ferry, but subway took longer than planned and I got the 6:30 one. No one checks. For the bus you just need your BIB. But I would not leave it too late...I'd rather be early in the corral than missing the cut off. I remember watching the NYC Marathon around the 2 mile mark and standing with me were runners with BIB's that did not get to Staten Island early enough and were going to hop in at 2 (which for them is not the experience they were going for....they won't count and they did not run a marathon). I felt so bad for them. So don't leave it too late is my point!

All of this is good advice - Most importantly is the course is tougher than you think. I also suggest running with an extra layer or 2, shedding the layer if you have to. My muscles felt tight when I ran 2 years ago - weather was 50, cloudy and chilly.

I suggest taking the ferry - it's very easy but keep in mind that the downtown 1 train to South Ferry will not be running that morning, as of today. I THINK you can take the downtown R or N train if you're coming from the west side or the 4/5 train if you're coming from the east side. Whatever your assigned ferry time is doesn't matter as they do not check. I left 15 minutes prior to my departure time last year. Arriving too early to the start area is not good because you'll spend more time in the cold.

Mile 1 is uphill but may not be a bother since you'll have so much adrenaline. I suggest running slightly slower than anticipated for the first half - the course is like a cross country course in many parts and the roadways are uneven. Mile 14 - going up the Queensboro bridge is tough - it's almost deafening silence until you make a left to exit the bridge and it sounds like you're at a rock concert as you run up First Ave. Watch your pace or this will come to haunt you when you get to Mile 23, which to me was when I hit the wall during my first NYC marathon - it's deceiving. Last year, I ran much smarter so Mile 23 didn't bother me as much. Mile 24-25 are thru Central Park with rolling hills. There is even a slight hill near the finish, so prepare for that.

The walk from the finish line to the baggage area feels like an eternity. If you intend to meet family and friends, I suggest meeting at a bar/restaurant or somewhere outside of Central Park. Once you cross the finish, you keep moving forward for about a mile until you get to baggage.

Good luck and have fun!

My tip for you is to go to YouTube and listen to Frank Sinatra singing New York, New York over and over again until race day and just keep that as your mantra, it will be over before you know it.

Look in to the crowds and once you hit Central Park the finish line is longer away then you think.

Best of luck.

This will be my 6th NY.

Logistics: do not worry about taking the earliest ferry just because the corral close times are strict. It takes about 45 min to make it from the ferry to the start area. Give yourself an estra 20-30min cushion and even if your corral section "door" is closed you can jump in a slower section and walk up to your section. This has happened to me a couple of times and it's no big deal. The other piece of advice is to wear a clear trash bag and/or throw away clothes for warmth and bring an empty bottle to pee in. I go to the bathroom often and like to pee liberally before the start. Also, no need to strip down and throw away your layers before they move you up to the bridge start. You'll wait at least another 20min up there so just because everyone else will do it doesn't mean you have to.

Race tactics: the usual hobby joggers go out on a mass sprint, high school cross country style. If we get the usual windy weather you'll burn a ton of energy keeping up with these fools over the first 2 miles. The course is much tougher than it looks on paper, trust me. There are gusty sections, some turns and bridges. The real race starts after the 59th st bridge. You run into a nice flat 3 mile strip of 1st Ave with a wild wild crowd screaming the whole time. Do NOT fly on that stretch because just like that you enter Harlem and it's dead zone and you start to pay attention to how much you're hurting. It's brutal getting through the Bronx on pace due to bridges and tight turns. If you're able to tackle that you have to run up 5th ave still which feels like a mountain at that late stage of the race. The park really sucks with the hills but if you haven't walked by then you'll likely finish strong.

Good luck not blowing up, it's really hard to get through it in one piece and run a fast time. In my first race I ran 3:05 blowing up like crazy at mile 19 and run/walking the rest. I took it out nice and easy the following year and was patient through 1st Ave and until the park and ran 2:44. I was in shape for a 2:35 btw, so really downgrade your expectations and don't be surprised if you don't even break 3.

1. Bring old, warm clothes to the start that you don't mind throwing away.

2. Wear an old pair of running shoes and socks to the start. Keep your running shoes and socks you plan to wear during the race in a bag. That way when you are walking on the grass at the staging area your shoes and socks won't get wet. In 1995 they was heavy rains the day before the race. This caused a lot of mud and huge puddles in front of the port a johns.

3. You probably have heard where all the main hills are (13,15, 20, and 23 miles). Runners forget about the hill at 8 miles. It climbs for about 3/4 of a mile on Lafayette Ave. a lot of runners don't expect it and get caught off guard with it.

Best of luck to you.

You'll have enough time if you take the 7 or 7:15 ferry. The bozos guarding the corral entrances will likely close them early, but all you have to do is walk into the next slower open one and then they'll let you walk up inside to your section.

early ferry wrote:

Also running, and am wondering if I can take a later ferry to get to Staten Island?? I am supposed to take the 5:40am which is ridiculous considering the 9:50am start.

Will I not get a lift from buses if I get take, say, the 7:00am ferry? I really don't want to wake up at 4am just to stand in the cold for hours..

mellow seeds wrote:

[quote]Convexity wrote:

Do you just whip it out and piss in the corral while sorrounded by other runners? And then what do you do with the gatorade bottle?

I have never run this race but i am having a tough time imagining being in the corral and pissing in a gatorade bottle.

I keep the space blankets from other runs. At home I use packing tape to tape 2 of the space blankets together to form a poncho. It's light and I bring it to keep warm and I can comfortably pee into a bottle under it without flashing female runners.