Forums >Racing>2014 New York City Marathon Thread
Thanks Julia, are bridges easier for you than long uphills because they are shorter ? I think that is what you are saying. I found this chart and it looks good to me. http://www.pbase.com/gmaclin/image/96811527/original
Thanks Julia,
are bridges easier for you than long uphills because they are shorter ? I think that is what you are saying.
I found this chart and it looks good to me.
http://www.pbase.com/gmaclin/image/96811527/original
I'm not sure what I'm saying. I think I'm saying I think the bridges of NYCM were better for me than the hills of Boston because they are spread out rather than clumped together. Here's an article where you can see the two courses side by side. (Fair warning: I think it makes NYCM look scary. LOL!)
My blog is JT Running DC. It's awesome. Guide to Washington DC Area Running Routes. Guide to the New York City Marathon. Guide to the Boston Marathon. Guide to Running Gear. Guide to Running Clothes.
So I missed option to book transportation (I didn't know where we will be staying at the deadline time) and now I have the default "No transportation required" selection. We will be staying around 450 West 42nd Street. How do I get to the start ? Can I get on the ferry on my own ? Is subway a good option ? How far are we from the finish line ? I've been in NYC only once for short time, so don't know city that much. Any suggestions are appreciated.
So I missed option to book transportation (I didn't know where we will be staying at the deadline time) and now I have the default "No transportation required" selection.
We will be staying around 450 West 42nd Street.
How do I get to the start ?
Can I get on the ferry on my own ?
Is subway a good option ?
How far are we from the finish line ?
I've been in NYC only once for short time, so don't know city that much.
Any suggestions are appreciated.
You should be able to take the subway but a local might know more about that area of town than me. Seems like there's a station nearby. The subway is pretty easy to navigate. The only hard part, I thought, was making sure I was going in the right direction (for some stations, there are separate entrances depending on whether you're going downtown vs. uptown). There will be tons of runners out on the streets and in the subway system, though, so you can figure out pretty quickly which way you're supposed to go.
And, you should be able to get on the ferry, too. They don't check. It's a mass of humanity entering the station. You pass a police office and some security dogs that will sniff your bag (if you have one) and then you're on the ferry.
Did you choose baggage or no baggage? If baggage, add another gazillion miles to your post-race walk. Again, a local might have better advice, but I would hop on the subway after the race.
ultramarathon/triathlete
Julia is right, you will want to take the subway (map here). In recent years they've let marathoners ride for free, BUT, don't count on getting a nice subway person, last year they denied me my "free ride" but I had my metrocard so it was no biggie. Check the entrance before heading down the stairs, some will say uptown or downtown. You want downtown. If it does not say either, you can go down and pick the direction once underground. You'll see LOADS of other obvious runners too though, it would be difficult not to find where to go judging by the flow of people. Hardly any non-runners will be awake and out yet.
From where you are staying, plan on at least 30 minutes to get to the ferry. Personally, I'd plan on at least 45 minutes. If you walk a few blocks to the 1 train (red line) it will take you directly down to Whitehall station which I THINK is the staten island station, but double check. Basically, you're going from Midtown to the lower tip of the financial district where the ferry is. You can also take the A/C (blue lines) and maybe the R (yellow line) but they're not going to be as direct as the 1 (red) will be.
The Staten Island ferry is free on a normal day. BUT, I have no idea what the deal is on Marathon day. I'd imagine it's still free and open to anyone willing to go to Staten Island, but like Julia said, they probably won't check anyway. I've never taken the ferry for the marathon but I imagine once I Staten Island they'd have to bus people to Fort Wadsworth. Again, I doubt the NYRR will give anyone a hard time, especially since you'll have an official bib number.
My gut says you're going to be 100% fine. You could probably email the NYRR to confirm. They're sometimes good at responding.
As for proximity to the finish, you're about a mile, straight shot, down from the finish line. Approx 20 city blocks is a mile. You can exit the park in the mid 60s and walk down to 42nd, OR you can walk up to 72nd street and take the A/C/E (blue line) to where you are staying.
HTFU? Why not!
USATF Coach
Empire Tri Club CoachGatorade Endurance Team
Further to Mendledave's post, just take the 1 train: http://goo.gl/maps/B0ESN
The ferry is in fact free on race day (at least it was last year when I took it) and they really do not check that you are on the right ferry. If you do end up getting to SI well before start time and it is a cold day, do yourself a favor and hang around in the ferry terminal in SI for a while. I did so last year for 45 minutes and it was much more pleasant than hanging out in the starting area on a breezy, cold day.
Rebuilding my aerobic base....racing next year.....nothing to see here....move along now.
Thanks Mendeldave and JML. That is a great info.
When I ran Boston last year we stayed at a house away from centre and we used subway a lot and it was very easy to get around.
We are staying in NY till Wednesday evening after the race to do a few touristy things, so we will get some kind of subway passes.
Slow and steady never wins anything.
JML brings up a good point: It will be COLD on Staten Island and you might find yourself there for an hour, or four hours, or more than that. It can be a great time hanging out and chatting with people, meeting new people or just watching people while you zone out or listen to your music, but it can be a long time and it's always cold.
Bring a large garbage bag to sit on, the grass will be wet. Bring a newspaper, you can sit on it, and read it. Bring anything to occupy your time. Bring throw away clothes you can toss at the start, even if you are checking a bag. After you check your bag you're going to have at minimum another 30 minutes before you're running. Probably closer to an hour. And it will still be cold. I always at least keep one baggy t-shirt on over my racing singlet that I actually toss when the cannon goes off.
All that said, I get a nice heated/catered tent as an official pacer. ;-) Nah-nah-nah-nah-naaah-naaaaaah!
In the common area of the Athlete Village, Dunkin Donuts will be giving out free hot coffee and tea. Also free bagels/cream cheese. Powerbar is usually there giving out powerbar stuff. All of that stuff is free. Watch for the Dunkin folks walking around giving out free Dunkin bright orange or bright pink stocking caps; nice souvenir or you can wear it on the first mile over the bridge to stay warm and toss it when it gets too hot. Timex also was there giving out really nice winter hats last year (black/red reversible). I still have one of those and several of the Dunkin ones.
There is also a performance stage that has live music. Watch for the 300 year old Asian man dancing. You'll know him because, well he's 300 years old and looks it, plus he covers his legs in bells (we call him Bells, creative I know) and he usually has a sign that says this is his x-thousandth marathon. (He's not a performer, he just grooves out and then runs yet another marathon.)
Also of note, there are lots (100s or 1000s) of porta potties. You may want to bring a role of TP though I've never had a hard time finding one with TP when needed. Also of note, once you get to your designated coral before the gun goes off, there are again more porta potties and usually at that point, no line since everyone tries to go one last time before entering their coral. Then again, you can always stop on the bridge to pee on those below you (You won't actually get peed on if you're on the lower level. Don't worry.)
I finally made it into the NYC Marathon after being rejected the previous three years. I am definitely not at peak fitness so this will be more of a laid back; enjoy the experience race for me.
Unfortunately I was lax in checking my emails from NYRR (honestly, could they possibly spam my account more to further hide the important ones) so I don't have a transportation reservation. I'll leave the option of just showing up for the ferry open, but wondering if there are any other means of public transportation to get me from Manhattan to the start line?
PRs: 5K: 21:52 10/14/12, 10K: 48:04 4/6/13, HM: 1:43:13 4/28/13, M: 4:02:23 5/26/13
Marathon Progression: 4:44:23 5/29/11, 4:20:08 5/27/12, 4:06:44 10/28/12, 4:02:23 5/26/13
NYRR has busses (I think) that go there. Most people do the ferry.
Really, the ferry is the best option. Unless you know someone in NYC with a car willing to drive you (which would be a huge PITA on Marathon morning, and the do eventually close the Verrazano to in and outbound traffic so they'd have to drop you off and get back very very early).
You'll be good with the ferry. It's the easiest way. It's also incredibly scenic. You'll see the view of lower manhattan, Statue of Liberty, Jersey City skyline, etc. For people visiting NYC on a regular day, I always recommend the SI ferry ride. It's free, you can bring a lunch on it, and it's like a nice relaxing cruise.
ETA: Of course sometimes the ferry crashes due to a sleeping operator and people die. But hey, that's not gonna happen. ;-)
Information well worth sharing. I stood in line for the port-a-potty in the village several times just in case it would be my last opportunity and then, when I got to the corral, see that the entire area is lined with port-a-potties.
Edited to add: One good thing about checking my bag last year was that I got to check my Dunkin Donuts hat.
FWIW, I had to pay subway fare before the race but got a free ride after the race. In fact, I remember the guy aggressively waving me through the gate and telling me to go through. I wasn't even sure where I was going but I went in anyway so he wouldn't physically throw me in the subway or something. LOL! Which also leads me to say... Everyone was super nice and helpful. I was kinda surprised because I thought New Yorkers were supposed to be mean.
That said, there's a Bus ride between the ferry and the start village. I got so jammed in, I couldn't even stand up straight. To say nothing of, it was a half hour ToF I didn't need. It is a nice boat ride though.
Dad, Runner, Programmer
I finally made it into the NYC Marathon after being rejected the previous three years. I am definitely not at peak fitness so this will be more of a laid back; enjoy the experience race for me. Unfortunately I was lax in checking my emails from NYRR (honestly, could they possibly spam my account more to further hide the important ones) so I don't have a transportation reservation. I'll leave the option of just showing up for the ferry open, but wondering if there are any other means of public transportation to get me from Manhattan to the start line?
Welcome, JayOH! I've always wanted to do a race where I'm not going after a time but just running it for the experience of it and I would think NY would be perfect for that. Hope it all works out!
2015 Goal:For now, keep running!
Training update: I ran my first tune up race today. My race report is in the Marathoner Dailies if you're curious.
I think I'll start planning my trip this week. I'm a slow poke so that means I may actually book something in early October. I might come up Thursday night or Friday morning to allow for a little more time to go sightseeing. I've never been to the museums in New York and feel like I need to check MoMA and the New York Public Library off my bucket list.
Training update: I ran my first tune up race today. My race report is in the Marathoner Dailies if you're curious. I think I'll start planning my trip this week. I'm a slow poke so that means I may actually book something in early October. I might come up Thursday night or Friday morning to allow for a little more time to go sightseeing. I've never been to the museums in New York and feel like I need to check MoMA and the New York Public Library off my bucket list.
I enjoyed your race report Julia. Great job on tired legs - or fresh legs! I'm staying at the Wall Street Inn, so I'll be able to just walk to the ferry. I don't know if they still have rooms, but just an idea for you. If you're planning on returning to your room after the marathon, its not the best option.
I have a question for the NYC locals. I live in NJ and am pretty familiar with the city, but what do you think of running the last 12 or 13 miles of the marathon course? Alone. I am not very familiar with north of Central park, or the section in the Bronx. It would be a Sunday morning.
I would start somewhere in Brooklyn, just over the Queensboro. It would be a 16 mile day, so I would just finish the last few miles in Central park. Good idea or dumb?
I hope everyone's training is going well. Mine is - I ran 58 miles last week - my most ever. I'm liking the Hansons plan and I think it will prepare me well. One of my achillies starting complaining a few weeks ago, but backing off some speed work seemed to help.
I have a question for the NYC locals. I live in NJ and am pretty familiar with the city, but what do you think of running the last 12 or 13 miles of the marathon course? Alone. I am not very familiar with north of Central park, or the section in the Bronx. It would be a Sunday morning. I would start somewhere in Brooklyn, just over the Queensboro. It would be a 16 mile day, so I would just finish the last few miles in Central park. Good idea or dumb?
There should be no issue with doing this. I run in that part of the city all the time and you just need to keep an eye out for cars when crossing streets. In fact, my running group does a group run two weeks before the marathon where we run the last 10 miles with (informal) pace groups. It is a great way to get familiar with the course and to mentally prepare for the gift that awaits at mile 22.5.
I've done the last 12 or so miles a handful of times alone. It's not unsafe at all, you'll be totally fine. You could actually run the entire course (IF you were actually able to get over the bridges, which you can't) and be totally safe. No really sketchy neighborhoods along the way.
Check out some of the running stores and running clubs, many start doing group runs on the weekends that cover the end several miles leading to Central Park (and of course CP is always safe to run in these days, so absolutely no cause for concern there).
In my opinion, the only hard thing about running the last 16 miles if figuring out where you'll need to turn. If you print off some directions and are good at following them, you'll be just fine.
Check out:
Jackrabbit Sports
The Running Company
NY Harriers
NY Flyers
I think all of some of these stores/clubs do group runs of the end dozen or so miles. I've lead some of them with the Running Company in the past. Most are free to just show up and run the course (not that they could really force you to pay but some want you to make a donation if they offer any support along the way.).
But, you'll be safe on your own too.