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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 381 to 391]
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Victor Angry from Woodbridge, VA
(11/16/2005)
"Relax and take it all in!" (about: 2005)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 New York City Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Relax and take it all in! That's the advice I received from another runner who ran the NYC Marathon. This was my first time running the NYC and my 6th overall marathon. I have been training for Boston and planning on using this race to run my 3:15. That plan was cut short by the wave of spectators who supported the race. They were so energetic and supportive that I felt as if I was the front runner. I was far ahead of my pace and didn't realize it until the half, that's when I dropped down to an 8+ minute-mile pace and just cruised and took it all in. The Disney World Marathon was fun, and I crushed that course because of it, but NYC was far better. The diversity of that city is amazing and I still managed a 3:47. A killer piece of the course for me was the 59th Street/Queens Bridge; it seemed so long that it took the rest of the wind right out of my sail. Getting back to the hotel after the race was apparently the initiation into life in the city - after a subway, ferry, and bus ride (3:30) I finally got back to the start line; I enjoyed every minute of experiencing the city but I can see this inconveniencing those who left all their energy at the finish line. I plan to run it again next year. | |
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ANDREW BALL from AYLESBURY, ENGLAND
(11/15/2005)
"great support kept me going when I wanted to stop" (about: 2005)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 New York City Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was my first New York Marathon and my fifth overall. The support from the crowd was something special that even London cant match. The course was hard in places but I expected that. What was a suprise was the 70 degree plus temperature when I was expecting to wear winter running gear. One or two minor complaints about the organisation where I think you could do better. I much prefer bottles of water at the feeding / water stations rather than an open cup. When you run with a bottle you can take on fluid at the desired rate rather than grabbing a mouthful before you spill the rest. On a hot day this was important. After the race the last thing in the world I wanted to do was to spend and hour and twenty minutes fighting my way through the crowd when I only needed to walk 10 - 15 mins. The area set aside to meet freinds and family was a shambles with the runners forced to push their way through the crowd. Anyway these complaints are minor when balanced against the experience of running this great marathon. Would I run it again ? YES, this is the best of the five I've run which includes London AND Paris | |
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J. F. from Bratislava, Slovakia
(11/15/2005)
"Absolutely great experience" (about: 2005)
11-50 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my 13th marathon, and I have no idea how to improve anything in oranization - everything ran perfectly. Perhaps, if you know how to make the weather colder, try it. | |
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J. S. from South Carolina
(11/14/2005)
"Wow!" (about: 2005)
1 previous marathon
| 1 New York City Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was my very first marathon and the New Yorkers cheered for me like I was a rock star. Even though I'm a slow runner (6 1/2 hour finish) the crowds were still huge cheering me on! One downside that I didn't count on were the long slow grades uphill. I think most of the first nine miles were an uphill grade, as was First Avenue in Manhattan. Neither the 59th Street nor the Pulaski Bridge bothered me. Way to go New York! You guys really dealt it out in spades! | |
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R. M. from Dublin, Ireland
(11/14/2005)
"Exhausting and amazing" (about: 2005)
2 previous marathons
| 1 New York City Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Incredible and well worth the trip. I cannot say enough about the fantastic crowd and the feeling of turning onto 1st Avenue after a really tough 17 miles. Just one word of warning for those traveling from colder climes: be aware of the heat and humidity; they are a killer and will affect both your time and your exhaustion levels. | |
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L. J. from North Carolina
(11/12/2005)
"Great course, disappointing organization" (about: 2005)
1 previous marathon
| 1 New York City Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 I ran NYC as my first marathon because I absolutely love New York! The crowd and scenery were amazing, but I thought the race organization left a lot to be desired. 1. I waited for the 'shuttle every 10 minutes' to the expo on Saturday morning for over 20 minutes, and finally took a cab. 2. The expo was run incredibly well, but they didn't have my size t-shirt when I got there. It seems like your t-shirt size should be printed on your number so they would know exactly how many of each they need. 3. The pasta dinner was a mess! We waited out on the sidewalk for over 20 minutes, then we had to weave in between tables to find the buffet, then sit among the lines to eat our food. The buffet line really should have been at the front, so you could have gotten your food and gone to find a seat. 4. I really didn't see many porta-johns on the course except at mile 21-ish, but I certainly did see people going EVERYWHERE! On the sidewalk, on themselves- it was really gross. On a hot day, on the lower level of one of the bridges, it smelled really ghastly! 5. The post-race walk through Central Park was awful. They were handing out blankets and food in a terribly disorganized fashion, so that you just had to reach your hand in and hope someone gave you a bag. They had many tables set up, but they didn't tell anyone that, so everyone waited at the first tables rather than continuing on. 6. The baggage pick-up was a nightmare. I didn't have baggage, but as far as I could tell there was no avoiding walking through to get to the family reunion area. People were standing behind the trucks, holding up their luggage tags, hoping someone would take it and get their bag. Meanwhile, it was almost impossible to get by because so many people were standing still waiting for bags. 7. The family reunion area was crowded and disorganized. Family and runners were all crushed together and barely moving. I finally had to beg a police officer to let me out of the metal fence because I felt ill, though he did say he wasn't supposed to let me out. Once I was out I realized that people on the sidewalk were actually moving. It took me one minute on the sidewalk to move 4 letters, which it had taken me 20 minutes to do in the crowd. I really expected everything to run like clockwork and was very disappointed. I'm actually shocked at all of the positive comments about this race. | |
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Joseph Kolinsky from Bronx, New York
(11/11/2005)
"Amazing" (about: 2005)
1 previous marathon
| 1 New York City Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Born and raised in the Bronx, I would have thought that spending almost 35 years in this city would numb the affects of running through its streets. I was wrong. Another person on this site made a very simple comment about this race - 'it has a soul.' A three-hour wait in Staten Island? Who cares. Enjoy meeting people from all over the world. Three hours goes by FAST. The start? Wow. Enough said. The bridges? Every bit as hard as I thought they'd be. The first mile feels great when you run it - but it can take more out of you than you are aware. Train on hills, or the 59th Street Bridge looks like a monster after 15 miles. I pulled a hamstring at mile 21, coming around a corner. When I felt it go, I almost fell over. A child kept yelling "Don't quit! Don't quit!'.... I took her advice. I'll never be able to express my thanks to my city. New Yorkers are special - they stay out and root you on, even at the 5-hour mark. For a first-time marathoner, this race could not have been more special. | |
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D. L. from Kalamazoo, Michigan
(11/11/2005)
"experience of a lifetime" (about: 2005)
2 previous marathons
| 1 New York City Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my 2nd marathon and the one I have always dreamed of experiencing. The crowds are incredible and really push you to keep going even when you hit the wall. The bridges are a real killer so train properly. Well coordinated race considering the large # of runners. Huge international group, which adds to the experience. Weather was too hot (nearly 70 degrees) but better than being cold & rainy. The race was a true rush. Hard to hold in the excitement early on, thus tend to run faster than normal pace. Would very easily run it again. Will train better for it next time. Also try & stay close to the finish line as I was in midtown and couldn't get a cab to save my life. | |
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Douglas Ritter from Texas
(11/11/2005)
"Greatest Athletic Event I Ever Participated In" (about: 2005)
2 previous marathons
| 1 New York City Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I have been doing athletic events, mostly bicycling and some triathlons, for 20 years, but this was my first NY Marathon. What an absolutely awesome event! The crowds make it. Imagine over 1 million people cheering you on for 26 miles and you get the idea. It will bring tears of happiness to you as you hear the pulsating music of John Williams' theme from Rocky as you run up first avenue. What a rush as you enter Central Park and the miles count down. The end is an absolute rush. Do it! | |
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B. B. from NJ
(11/11/2005)
"NYC Marathon is now an organized race. " (about: 2005)
11-50 previous marathons
| 4-5 New York City Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I owe the NYC Marathon organization this positive note. I wrote several years ago after the 2003 race a rather critical note on the miserable and disappointingly disorganized starting area. In 2005, I decided to give it another try and found that they have added open areas at start, port-a-johns, well manned water stops, and most important, organized and controlled starting bins for the top 5,000 numbers for both men and women and properly controlled access to each thousand (matching Boston). For years, they claimed they had this but now they really do. For the not-quite-elite-but-competitive runner, NYC is now a real option. If you passed up this marathon as just a fun run after doing it prior to 2004, you may want to think again. |
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