The New York Marathon Course
Where to begin? New York City has such an awesome marathon – from the spectators and the way the city embraces „its“ marathon, to a very attractive (albeit very hilly) course, running through all five of the city’s burroughs, each unique in its own way and sharing a special flavor and character. In short, many things stand out. If I had to pick one or two things that stood out, I would say it’s the experience at the start: heading out to Staten Island in the early morning hours, waiting around for hours with other runners, before being sent off with „New York, New York“ onto the course at the Verrazano Narrows Bridge. I enjoyed the quiet camradery of those first few minutes. As you descend down the bridgehead, Brooklyn greets you with exuberant cheers, and it stays that way till the finish.
New York Course Difficulty
In runner circles, there is a big debate which World Majors course is more difficult – New York or Boston. I would say they are fundamentally different - therefore, the answer depends a bit on the runner’s strengths and preferences. In terms of sheer elevation New York (it has massive bridge heads) is more challenging. But unlike Boston the ascents are quite spread out throughout the race. Also, unlike Boston New York doesn’t have a quad-killing net downhill profile on the first half. Many runners' legs are toast once they reach Boston's storied Newton hills (incl. Heartbreak Hill), four decent climbs starting at around mile 16. So: I personally found Boston to be slightly more difficult.
My race
Ignoring all recommendations, like many other runners I let myself be ignited by the amazing atmosphere and went out guns blazing. I started the first half well on par to finish sub 3:40. But eventually – and earlier than I would have hoped – the wheels started coming off, and I was really hurting. As I moving closer to Central Park, my wife joined me on the course and ran with me, and eventually we also finished the race together (the finish line photo shows us both). It was a very tough race for me, but the first World Major was in the books. I loved the fact that New Yorker pedestrians congratulate runners as they hobble down the sidewalk, and even the next day at the airport. New Yorkers totally embrace "their" race.
Race rating New York Marathon: 5 1/2 out of 6 stars