NYC Marathon Race Report
This was all around a fantastic race experience. First off, I just wanna say, if you ever get the chance to run it, DO IT!!
I traveled with my hubby and my 17 year old DD, plus a couple of friends. Friday and Saturday I did my best to stay off my feet, but having never been to NYC, we had to do all the touristy things. I really put a lot of effort into carb loading this time, more so than any other marathon to date (this was my 10th), and I really think this was key for me. It was not hard to find good food here!
The weather for the marathon and our entire stay was perfect, with lows in the upper 40’s and the high around 60, no rain and light winds. I couldn’t have asked for anything better.
On race morning, I took the subway from our Midtown hotel to the Staten Island ferry, to a bus, to the start village. This was easier than I thought it would be and I’m glad I chose the ferry option because the views of the Statue of Liberty and Manhattan skyline are definitely worth it. The start village and corrals are very well organized and I was very impressed with the logistics of getting that many runners to the start line.
Verazzano Narrows Bridge: I was in Orange Wave 5, corral B and we started at 11:30am. The climb up the bridge was not as bad as I expected, or maybe the adrenaline just helped me power up the hill. Everyone was just so excited to be starting and the energy was palpable. The views from the bridge are pretty cool.
Brooklyn: Man, Brooklyn was an eleven mile street party! The crowds were deep and loud, making me feel like a rock star. That energy was electric and made those miles feel effortless. I stopped to use a potty around the 10 Mile mark and chatting with the guy in front of me, we both couldn’t believe how fast those 10 miles went by.
Queens: Half way already! The crowd in Queens had the yummy snacks, including my favorite, pickles & pickle juice. Not going to lie, The Queensboro Bridge is a doozy. That slowed my roll a bit, but hearing the crowd in Manhattan as you’re coming off the bridge gave me new life again.
Manhattan/Bronx: Again, fantastic crowd support, so much to look at, so many funny signs. Nike also had some great billboards along the course. The second half of the course has several hills, but most are gradual, gentle rollers and they felt manageable.
Central Park: Such a pretty setting to end in and at sunset. I somehow got faster those last three miles. As I was nearing the finish line, I almost didn’t want it to end. I had the nicest volunteer wrap that wonderful orange fleece poncho around me and then he made sure my medal was on the outside, telling me to show it off and that he was proud of me. It brought tears to my eyes!
The largest marathon in the world at over 55,600 finishers and I got to be a part of it. That night I celebrated with margaritas and ate my weight in Mexican food. Also got free desserts for our table for wearing my medal.
My official time was 5:26, certainly not my fastest, but certainly not my slowest either. Most importantly, I felt so good the entire race. Nothing was hurting, I never hit a wall or struggled, just consistent, solid pacing the whole way. My training was good, my carb load was great, and the only thing I would have done differently is maybe eat a little more than I did that morning. The weather was perfect and the crowd support was NEXT LEVEL and all those things made for an unforgettable marathon experience.
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