There are lots of different races. But there is only one TCS New York City Marathon.
It’s hard to describe what makes the TCS New York City Marathon so unique, but it begins with crowd support. Given the enthusiasm of the sideline supporters, the event feels more fun than your typical race: the energy from the crowd makes it almost feel like a Macy’s Day Parade. Each borough that you run through seems to want to give runners their best chance to succeed. And, since the spectators are having so much fun, it’s hard not to have fun alongside them.
The whole thing felt like a gift.
The morning routine, however, is a challenge on race day, so be prepared to get up early in New York, hurry up—and then wait. I did not have a PB in mind and only wanted to run gracefully. That takes a lot of pressure off, especially when you’re constantly tweaking what to wear, eat, hydrate, and how to find one last bathroom break. On Sunday, I experienced so many early morning different emotions that by the time I made my way to the corral for the starting cannon, I was 100% ready to race.
I consider that luck.
Like always with races, the actual running bit after so much time in preparation comes as a relief.
Brooklyn, where the run really starts, is unbelievable. Everyone in their life should be gifted the experience of racing through Brooklyn at the TCS New York City Marathon. All I can say is I felt like Travis Kelce after the Super Bowl. I don’t think I’ve ever smiled so much during the marathon. I also highly recommend running without music, because the block parties and stoop jams provide such diverse soundtracks that it’s a shame not to soak everything in.
The experience is visceral, massive, emotional, huge.
Queens is just a short bit of the race and then, after going through a long bridge at mile 15, the race sort of starts at the back half when you enter Manhattan. How to put this in words? You’re in a tunnel for about 15 minutes and, when you get out—at least when I ran on Sunday—the sun is shining and crowds are cheering and it’s like the darkness opens up to the promised land.
I sped up my pace.
Hitting all of the water stations, I cruised up First Avenue and all the way to the Bronx where, OK, for me, the work part of my New York visit began. Now it’s no longer a parade, it’s time to work. Roughly I had the runner’s high for 80% of my race and the last twenty percent, grit. I think all racers would take that breakdown. So, when the race got tough, I had my mantra kick in: a little more, a little more, a little more. And that’s all it is. Keep pushing and hustling and trying not to fall too far off pace and, slowly but surely—the miles keep ticking down until it suddenly happens all at once—now you’re on the perimeter of glowing Central Park and can feel the finish line vibes. It’s deep and magical and when I’m asked why I run, well, it’s this: I feel alive, tired, exhilarated, emphatic and depleted, all at once.
I could not pick up my pace as I closed in on the finish line. I didn’t throw up my hands or scream or yell. I ran with everything I had, which wasn’t much after 42 kilometres, but the wheels didn’t fall off and I made it through the chute and got a medal placed over my head. I enjoyed myself for the long run and, when I had to, buckled down and finished the job.
The TCS New York City Marathon is one of the Abbott World Marathon Majors and each of those events have their own distinguishing virtue. Berlin, where Natasha Wodak set the record, is fast; Boston is like a marathoner’s Olympics because you have to qualify to get in. There’s Chicago, which is flat, and Tokyo, which, being Japan, is an opportunity to see the world in your race shoes. People love the TCS London Marathon, which is in spring, and now Sidney just came onboard as an Abbott World Major, and who doesn’t want to race Australia? But New York is New York: a marathon that feels like a celebration, a race with crowd support that everyone in life deserves, but only us New York runners get to receive. I’d run the TCS New York City Marathon once before. In my mind, I keep running it again and again.
