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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 31 to 41]
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Steve Anderson from Texas
(11/7/2014)
"Lives up to the hype" (about: 2014)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 New York City Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This entire event was top notch and exceeded my expectations. Yes, there are a lot of people. Yes, it requires extra time, money, planning and logistics. It's no different than going to NYC on vacation. Either you like the crowds or you don't. I really enjoyed the corral, the buildup to the start and even the run over the first bridge. It actually was less crowded than many small races i have done due to the 3 start groups with 4 waves. More than enough port a potties, extremely friendly folks. I felt the same welcome that you might expect with southern hospitality. Don't pass up a chance to do this marathon. | |
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J. K. from Vancouver
(11/6/2014)
"Great experience...but..." (about: 2014)
2 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Wonderful bucket list type race however I would not do it again. There were way too many runners on the road, more physical contact with others than any other race. More spectators knocking down runners by crossing the road than anywhere else. It was amazing but not something I need to experience again. | |
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P. M. from Toronto, Canada
(11/6/2014)
"Iconic race, great organization, fantastic crowds" (about: 2014)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 New York City Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 If you like big city marathons, you must run NYC. Even if you do not like them, you still need to run NYC to see what you're missing. Everything about this race is top-notch, from the iconic five boroughs course to the expo, transportation and logistics, start village, pre- and post-race food and drink, media coverage, crowd support, water stations, fantastic volunteers and post-finish area and poncho (well, at least for those who like me, have not checked in any luggage). It was a great race experience despite cold weather and unprecedented windy conditions. Long wait in the start village was the only negative, but I realize it may be unavoidable with 50,000 people. I was in Wave 1 so the village was pristine by the time I got there and still in semi-decent shape when I left; it would have been thoroughly trashed for Wave 4. My only suggestion would be to improve corral management so people do not sneak into earlier waves, and perhaps introduce some kind of estimated time check during the registration, because many runners seem to abuse corral and wave placement process (this would be difficult to implement, though). Thanks for the memories, NYC! | |
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C. W. from Ottawa, Ontario
(11/6/2014)
"Must run marathon - Celebrity status" (about: 2014)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 New York City Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Giant Kudos to NY Marathon race organizers for an amazing display of logistical brilliance. To the 10,000 plus volunteers that donated your time and efforts with a smile, I would personally like to thank every one of you. I felt privileged to have received entry to this marathon and was overwhelmed by the sights and sounds of your fair city and the encouragement from the spectators from every borough. You literally feel like a 'celebrity' when you run this race. Coming off quiet bridges to thousands and thousands of people on every corner. Comparable to getting out of a limo at the Oscars. The only thing that I can find fault with this race is the 4 hour wait with 'no shelter'. We had 35mph winds and I was stiff before I even ran. Some heated areas would be nice. If you skip checking your bags with the UPS Trucks - you are eligible for the Poncho (Well worth it) The Race shirt is nice and the medal is also excellent. The course is setup great. The race expo was quick and painless. At the end of the race you were given a bag with food and drink. The apple was delicious and I appreciated that they put a prtein bar, pretzels and a recovery drink. This is a great race and a bucket list for any runner who wants to feel inspired while running 26.2 miles. | |
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D. D. from California
(11/5/2014)
"Bucket List" (about: 2014)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 New York City Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 There's not much I can say about this race that hasn't been said already. Simply put, NYC is the biggest, brightest race in the world. It's a bucket list race for most marathoners and it's worth traveling to it from just about any place on Earth. It's that good. Five stars all around for this race. | |
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andreina valsecchi from Italy
(11/5/2014)
"a kind of magic" (about: 2014)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 New York City Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 A great marathon in a lovely city and in a great country...all wonderful.... | |
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m. s. from boston, MA
(11/4/2014)
"start and finish are not great" (about: 2014)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 New York City Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 I have run 15+ marathons and this was my first NY experience. Getting to the start is a ridiculous ordeal. I stayed in Midtown and I had to take the subway to the ferry, and then a shuttle bus took us to the start. Can you say planes/trains/automobiles? Once on Staten island, I waited for 3+ hours in the freezing cold..I know there is nothing you can do about the weather, but I'm not sure it's entirely necessary to have people be out there for 3 hours. The course is very challenging. I feel like enough is not said about how hard the course is. I don't know why but people compare it to Boston and to me..Boston is easier..NY is just hill after the hill. the bridges are very challenging and there are random hills thrown in between the bridges..to add to the challenge, on this day , it was the very windy..the NYC marathon had issued a wind advisory prior to the start and yeah, they weren't kidding. the cold and wind were absolutely brutal at times..it was the slowest marathon in their 30 years...and of course, this was the year I was picked. There were tons of specators and that was nice. I was happy to see so many NYers out there cheering us on. running through the boroughs was also very cool. Of course the race is very well organized, tons of fluids and other stuff at the water stops...but then came the finish..which was awful. AWFUL!!! You cross the finish line and you continue to walk for about 1.5 miles. I am not kidding. On top of the 26 miles you just ran you now have to walk another 1.5 miles to get out. And it was truly bad. I chose the no baggage option, so I was diverted left towards the finisher ponchos, for which I had to walk UPHILL to get! UPHILL. I couldn't believe it. After getting said poncho, I then had to proceed ANTOTHER 0.5-0.75 miles to meet up with my husband at the family meeting area. Now..I get that there are 55K runners, I get that it's in the middle of a major city..but really you couldn't pick a flat area to hand out the ponchos?? Couldn't you pick a closer location to have family waiting for you? All in all, it was an interesting experience. I was about 15 mins slower than my best time and that was because of the wind mostly. The weather was awful..maybe on a good weather day this race would be good. also, train for hills! The bridges are very, very challenging. NYC needs to improve the finish line area. It is terrible!!! I won't be back, but only because its just too large a race for me, once is good to check it off the list. | |
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Arthur Clay from Boston, MA
(11/3/2014)
"Highwater mark of my life!" (about: 2014)
1 previous marathon
| 1 New York City Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Exhilarating experience. Where else can you run alongside a frenzied audience of 1,000,000+ fans cheering you on from Brooklyn to Central Park and virtually every point in between? Have fun at the Expo - there's lots to see and do, and of course, buy. The lines were barely noticeable on Saturday when we arrived two hours before closing. Enjoy the early morning stay at marathon village. The time absolutely flew by, despite blustery, windy conditions. Have fun talking to fellow racers from all over the globe and before you know it, you'll be directed to your corral and toeing the start line and then the cannons will go off and you will soon savor the spectacular sight of the Manhattan skyline as you traverse the Verrazano bridge. Train hard, familiarize yourself with the course, and you can definitely PR. I did Boston this year - my first marathon ever - in 5:07 and then I did NY (the day before posting this review!) in 3:50. Yes, it helped that I lost an extra 20 pounds, trained for six straight months, and drove down three weeks before the race to run the last 10 miles. During the race we also had 20 mph headwinds all the way to the Bronx! But Mother Nature's 20 mph headwinds could do little to overpower the tailwind effect I got from all those amazing fans. BTW One of the best ways to get into the race - if you don't qualify or have luck on your side in the lottery - is to join one of the local charities. I picked the race organizer's own 'Team for Kids,' an obvious choice after joining a similar charity for Boston. I highly recommend them especially for the beginning marathoner like myself as they provide so many resources including training programs, contact with other fellow runners in your area, important email updates, transportation to the start, marathon village private tent with all the amenities and accommodations...you name it...very classy outfit. I will be back in to 2015 to do NY with Team for Kids!!! | |
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Charles Belton from PA, USA
(11/3/2014)
"Awesome Experience!!!" (about: 2014)
2 previous marathons
| 1 New York City Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I got to come back to the city I grew up in and run like I did when I was a kid. This time though it was with 50,000 other wild and crazy people and a bit slower. I think all who ran will remember the fierce winds especially on the bridges but there were great bands, fantastic refreshment volunteers, and wonderful cheering spectators throughout the course. The NYC Marathon is a Must Do at least once in your life if possible for any true runner. | |
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David Klein from Suffern, NY
(10/16/2014)
"'Welcome to the Bronx' 'Now Leave'" (about: 2011)
3 previous marathons
| 1 New York City Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 If you run (good guess since you're reading about marathons) and you're a native New Yorker, then it's a no brainer. You will see your native city in a way like you never have before. And you will see the city differently afterwards when you pass certain places. I'm writing this 3 years after running NYC (cause I came to this site to write about a different race and decided to add my $.02). When I drive over the Verrazano Bridge now - I remember the emotion of the start. The curiosity and reserved nature of the orthodox Jewish kids in Williamsburg. The quiet of the 59th street bridge then the roar at the end of the bridge. The great signs all along the way - including my favorite 2 in the Bronx (listed in the subject - 2nd sign 10 feet behind first sign). Forget any negatives. If you're from NYC and you run... |
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