Forums >Racing>Pacing for NYC Half Marathon
The Manhattan Half in January, confined itself to the upper park. Allow the tourists to have the lower loop. Guessing that will be the model for the Tune Up too. But this is coming in at seventh and outside of the frozen zone. So I think there will be carriages coming in on sixth maybe even bikes. Please tell me there will not be bikes. Plenty of course marshalls to steer the non racers out of the course.
Weather looks perfect for running. Heat sheet to the start. Should be wagons along the start corrals to collect old clothes for charity. A new course across nyc. I'm pumped for you guys.
I lost my rama
The Manhattan Half in January, confined itself to the upper park. Allow the tourists to have the lower loop. Guessing that will be the model for the Tune Up too. But this is coming in at seventh and outside of the frozen zone. So I think there will be carriages coming in on sixth maybe even bikes. Please tell me there will not be bikes. Plenty of course marshalls to steer the non racers out of the course. Weather looks perfect for running. Heat sheet to the start. Should be wagons along the start corrals to collect old clothes for charity. A new course across nyc. I'm pumped for you guys.
I would have thought it would be a completely closed course in the park (like in the NYCM). I may have to run by to check it out.
3/17 - NYC Half
4/28 - Big Sur Marathon DNS
6/29 - Forbidden Forest 30 Hour
8/29 - A Race for the Ages - will be given 47 hours
Waltons ThreadLord
A large section of the SW corner of the park will be a closed, secured, runners-only area, post-finish. I am now curious as to whether the roads that the course follows will be closed.
5k 23:48.45 (3/22); 4M 31:26 (2/22); 5M 38:55 (11/23); 10k 49:24 (10/22); 10M 1:29:33 (2/24); Half 1:48:32 (10/22); Marathon 4:29:58 (11/23)Upcoming races: Clinton Country Run 15k, 4/27; Spring Distance Classic 5k, 4/28
I'm curious as well. I've been a course marshall at the hot corner, where the carriages come in from Sixth Ave on both the Tune Up and the Manhattan Half. There's rock ledges on both sides so it's a little narrow there. You've got runners on the inside, carriages on the outside and pissed off cyclists getting squeezed in the middle. They'll give us the brushback to vent their ire.
But I thought about it and agree with Bert here. There simply seems no way they can allow anything through the course on CP South entering the park at Seventh Ave. That part will have to be totally barricaded.
btw, you get a recovery bag with a water, gatorade, pretzels and NYS apple at the finish. You'll be walking around 15 blocks, through the medals, baggage, snacks to the "reunion area" at 59th.
I attended a course discussion/strategy presentation when I picked up my bib. Their message was basically that even the bigger hills are only a quarter mile long, so while they may slow you, your pace up the hill won't be your pace for the whole mile. Their advice was not to exceed goal pace by more than 5 - 10 seconds for any mile, not even the easy ones.
According to some formulas I have that account for the effect of elevation change on pace, 100 ft in 1 mile is approximately equal to 18 seconds faster pace if you are planning on finishing in about 2 hours. Given that I think it's a good idea to start a hair slow the first couple of miles, I would definitely stick with staying within 5 seconds of final goal pace on the first mile. I think your legs will thank you at the late miles of the race.
5k: 20:32 (1/17) | HM: 1:34:37 (2/18) | FM: 3:31:37 (3/18)
Getting back into it
RIP Milkman
Although I think that's generically true, it's much different experiencing those hills on the west side when you're in Mile 12 and 13. Hill running gets exponentially more difficult the more tired you are.
5K: 16:37 (11/20) | 10K: 34:49 (10/19) | HM: 1:14:57 (5/22) | FM: 2:36:31 (12/19)
This morning I ran over the Manhattan Bridge and a short section of the course on Canal St. They already stacked up (and in parts lined up) the inter-locking metal barricades, which is the best option to keep people off the course. I also saw them along Columbia St and Houston St. So I think the entire Lower East Side until you get to FDR Drive will be blocked off, so no worries there.
Also, the hairpin turn off Manhattan Bridge onto Canal isn't as bad as it looks on the map. It's a downhill turn (but not too steep), so you can take it nice and wide without breaking stride or any time.
Good luck tomorrow!
Thank you, and thanks for the recon.
ultramarathon/triathlete
Hope everyone who raced had a great day, I did!
I paced the 1:30 group and we came in at 1:29:35. Nailed it.
The new course was great, but it was FREEZING with a headwind most of the course. UG.
I'll be back again next year for sure (I'll pace it again). I spoke to several people at the end who had pretty decent PRs (2-3 min) so I think the course felt faster. The only big hill being the bridge after just a couple of miles, then rollers the rest of the way. Cat Hill in CP didn't actually seem to be slowing the people around me down and it was nice when we turned left to head across the park and finally got a bit of tail wind. The rolling hills in the last mile or two heading down CP on the west side seemed to be getting people a bit but I'd chalk that up to being the end of the course and those folks had run a very solid half. Anyway, I liked it better than the course from last year.
HTFU? Why not!
USATF Coach
Empire Tri Club CoachGatorade Endurance Team
I did see one of the 1:30 pacers go by my position. How many were there? Usually 2. A really epic day and I was pleased to be a part of it. Logistically, it's NYRRs very first 2 borough race. ( NYRR takes a bag for you, to the finish, 22,000 runners)
So we get to the truck with the bags, they were understaffed, elites were already coming through the finish and a few hundred bags are in the truck. Got crazy then the late bags arrived and more people were coming through. But everything worked out, Thousands of bags.
Hi all. I do agree it was nice course. My time was a bit slower than I had planned for, but then the wind was stronger than I had anticipated and mostly a headwind. But no excuses - I am what my time is. A nice, clear sunny day, so plenty of nice views and sites to see.
Fred - Nice job! Yeah, weather wasn't cooperative today, both the wind and the colder air.
Mendeldave - Great job pacing! For a new route, you nailed it.
Nas - One of these days, I'll get off my arse and help out. You're much better than me.
I was able to run along side of those racing in Central Park for a few miles outside of the marker cones. Watched the race on DVR when I got home. NYRR did a great job on the course and organization for a new route.
One day at a time
Ben True, from our small town in Maine, became the first American to win the NYC Half Marathon! He ran for our high school under the same coach that my kids had. He's a nice "kid" (can't believe he's 32 now).
It was also his debut Half Marathon. Very impressive performance and another promising star for American runners. In 2015, he won the UAE Healthy Kidney 10K in Central Park, beating notable elite runners, a couple who were also NYC marathon winners, IIRC. I was only way way behind. Pretty cool he ran at the same school as your kids!