New York City Marathon

A Tough Course, but Supporting Crowds and Fellow Racers Make NYCM Monumental! NYCM is at the edge between rolling hills and hilly and hills just don't end! The course is also frustrating. Only a few parts go through the neighborhoods and streets that make New York renowned. That said, the excitement before, during and after even surpass extraordinary races like Berlin and Chicago. New York is packed with runners and running events all of Marathon week. It truly becomes a Marathon city and the excitement is palpable. Arrive early or stay late to see New York! The crowds in 2024 were the most awesome ever - and recent crowds were already fantastic. The vista of thousands of runners in front also adds to the excitement. Street surface is impeccable. Water stations are ample, although nothing compares to the meticulous water stations of Chicago.

It certainly helped that 2024 weather was perfect. Low/mid 40s at the start were just warm enough for comfort. Max temps remained in the mid 50s. Breeze wsa light. By comparison, temps were in the 80s just two days earlier!!

The start can be daunting! I enjoy taking the Staten Island ferry to the start instead of direct bus, although lines for the bus from the ferry to the corrals are long. Bring lots of throwaway clothes instead of using bag check. The heat capes at the end are awesome, but not available to those using bag check.

Lots of people apparently love the crowd support on this course, but I didn't care about it one way or another (I run all my miles alone at home, so I really don't need a crowd to propel me during a race) and it certainly wasn't enough to overcome some huge drawbacks.

I realize that routing 50,000 runners through one of the world's biggest and busiest cities presents some enormous logistical challenges, but the race directors really didn't overcome those challenges too well, in my opinion. Beginning with transportation to the starting line, all the way out of Manhattan on Staten Island, the website and email communication never outlined well the options, their advantages and drawbacks, and the means necessary to execute those plans. Runners were encouraged to choose a means of transportation - bus or ferry - and a time, and that was it. What TIME should I choose for the ferry? Who knows, especially since I hadn't received my corral assignment or my straying time yet when I made that choice? How does one who has never been in NYC get to the ferry, and what impact do those considerations have on where to stay in the city? Who knows?

Fortunately, I managed to figure most of that out or lucked into some good guesses but on race day, once we got off the ferry, the runners' troubles and confusion had just begun. Supposedly a simple bus trip awaited us after the ferry to shuttle us to the starting village, but no, not by a long shot. With no direction or queuing instructions, no one guiding foot traffic and no ropes or flags pointing out where to line up, we stood, shoulder to shoulder in a throng, some for (including me) for well over 90 minutes, less than 50 feet from the buses as they came and went, while the chaos built and the luck of the draw of where the next bus stopped and simple aggression determined which person or group got on next. Those who had run the race previously said this was unlike previous years, but someone somewhere apparently missed the memo, because the whole affair could not have been more poorly organized and it's lucky no one got hurt or trampled.

Once we finally made the starting village, which fortunately featured plenty of room for relaxing (finally!), stretching, and preparation, along with ample toilet facilities, I found communication about timing of corral entry and other details sorely lacking. Sparse signage and very few PA announcements out me in grave danger of being closed out of my corral.

Having just barely made the corral, I managed to start on time (super late for a marathon, by the way, in case you are considering this as a future race—waves begin around 9:00 and continue for a few hours after - so biorhythms and warm weather be damned, you are running into the afternoon), I found the race itself frustrating. Though I ran slower than I had estimated because of the unseasonably warm and humid weather, I passed infinity other runners along the course. This was especially challenging and frustrating on the narrow streets and rolling hills of Brooklyn, and it continued almost until the end of the race? How would this be possible if waves and corrals were organized by pace? One might argue that I simply encountered others also going slowly because of the conditions, but no. Many of these folks were clearly older, less fit, or otherwise clearly not capable of keeping a pace consistent with the wave they were assigned. Again, this suggests to me poor organization on the part of the race planners. More than that, perhaps because of the crowds and sheer volume of runners, I found this race much more riddled with people who walked or stopped abruptly in the middle of the road than any other I have run. Maybe these are just casual running "tourists," who don't know the unwritten rules or marathoning?

Finally, I found the finish support and exit procedures cumbersome and subpar. No chocolate milk? No bananas? No carbs beyond a small bag of pretzels? No cold drinks at all except water? Top it all off with a nearly one-mile walk to the bag check (don't get me started on the lack of bag check at the starting line and the need to check finishing gear a day or two ahead of time at the finish line in Central Park), and it felt like a trudge, not a celebration, after a long run.

As to "running all five burroughs?" Meh. I know it's very difficult to pull it off in a city that size, but maybe they shouldn't even try. You really don't see anything of Queen, The Bronx, or Staten Island. Your time in each is passing and perfunctory. The race is basically all Brooklyn and Manhattan.

Start planning your trip to the starting line a long time in advance and don't rely on the race itself to give you meaningful guidance on this. Check other websites or YouTube videos for practical advice.

The marathon was well organized. Plenty of security, water stops and people cheering. Didn't like the long walk to exit Central Park but its for the runners security.

Hold back for the first few miles. Going out to fast will end up burning you out. The Queensboro Bridge is a tough climb. Once on first Avenue it's amazing with the crowd cheering. You are a rock star for a day.

The Ferry is the best way to get there.

Being from Chicago, I didn't want to like NYC but NYRR really do put on a great race! The spectators were great and were out in full force. There were maybe 3 spots on the entire course where there weren't any spectators, 2 of them being bridges. The hills were just always there, nothing major but just rolling nearly the entire way and you don't really notice them until the last 5-10k.

Be patient in the first half, its easy to let the spectators pump you up but really try and be conservative in the first half. The rolling hills sap your legs and you'll feel it that last 10k.

Stayed at the Marriot Vacation Club - Pulse. Had a great view of the Empire State Building, super close to the expo and the Midtown Library pickup. The hotel had bagels, fruit, water, and Gatorade for guests the morning of the race.

I was really excited to run this marathon. After applying for the lottery 4 years in a row, I finally got in and the hype was huge! Unfortunately, it wasn't as great as I thought it would be. There were crowds in some places, but not all along the course like Boston. The expo was okay, but not nearly as big as Boston or LA and CRAZY EXPENSIVE in comparison too. When you crossed the finish line it was a solid 10 minutes before you got just 1 bottle of water (the only one they give you) and you have to walk a mile before getting your poncho and to get to the family meeting area. Honestly after the bad racing experience I had, these things made it so much worse. This is my 10th marathon on 9 different courses and only the second one I've said I definitely wouldn't want to run again. It's just too expensive and way too much extra work for too little return.

I was warned that the bridges make it a hilly experience, but I didn't expect my quads to completely cramp up at mile 16-17, making the rest of the race a literal uphill battle. By the time I made it to Central Park, I was barely able to enjoy the beautiful fall foliage because I could barely bend my legs. Even if you love downhills like I do, I would advise you to go out extra slow especially on the first big downhill over the bridge because it will kill you later on. Besides that first hill being a little fast, I stuck to my racing strategy, not going out too fast and still completely died despite having really solid training runs at faster paces on hills that I thought were similar though not as long. Don't listen to those who tell you to bank time because of the hills in Central Park, it's not worth the pain!

I stayed at a pretty conveniently located hotel just outside of Times Square, but it still took almost 4 hours to get from there to the starting line on race morning. They had barely any restrooms en route because the lines at the ferry terminal were too long to wait in and we waited in the line for the busses after the ferry for 45 minutes with no bathrooms whatsoever, and we were on the busses for 30-45 minutes after that. I just barely made it to my corral on time because they close them 20 minutes prior to when your waive starts without making any announcements until right before.

Stay as close to the finish line as possible because they make you walk a really long way in Central Park and we got completely screwed by a pedicab getting back to the hotel when it was the only means of transit we could find.

Getting to the city, we parked at the Harbor Point Garage at the Stamford, CT Metro North Train stop and it was pretty convenient and only $12 for every 24 hours. The train ride from there was about an hour to Grand Central.

This is an unbelievable race with the best crowd support all along the way. I was staying in the upper east side and took the bus from midtown to the start which had a long line but it moved quickly. We had an awesome weather day so I didn't have to worry about staying dry before the race which because I was in Wave 4 didn't start for me until 11am! I wish I had brought a throw away blanket along with my outerwear to discard because I did get chilled waiting for so long. If I had it to do over again, I would book a hotel near the finish because it's a madhouse in and around the park after the race. This marathon will be an experience you'll never forget!

Make sure you work some hill workouts into your training because the bridges aren't the only hills you'll encounter. I would have also done more of my long runs at 11am just to get used to my fueling before the race but if you have an earlier start, you'll be ok. The grounds at the start villages were a little wet because of the previous day's rain so bring something to sit on that you can discard.

I would pick a hotel near the finish.

The sheer volume of participants and spectators (and the logistics to accommodate them) makes the NYC Marathon unlike any other marathon. It's awesome! My only gripe is that I wish that the recovery materials (heat shields, food/drinks, etc) came BEFORE the mass of post-race photography stations. Seems like safety takes second position to efficiency of traffic flow.

The individual hills are not grueling, but they're very long. And there are a lot of them! Depending on where you are in the pack, this might not be the best race to try to PR. If you're in the back, you'll just waste a lot of energy on lateral movement to dodge slower-paced runners.

Give yourself time to get to the start. My trip from midtown hotel to the start took just over three hours, with a lot of standing in line waiting for a ferry and then the bus. You're essentially tired before you even start the race. And be prepared to walk a LOT to get out o the runner's area after you're done.

Best marathon in the world! The crowds are amazing! The course is tough, go slow in the first half.

It's pretty hard to describe the feeling of running with 52,000 other people or the feeling of 1,000,000 people cheering for you. It's a tough course but the NYC Marathon is a race you will never forget. Bucket list for sure.

This is a hilly course. The Verazzano and Queensboro bridges are steep and come at the very beginning and then mile 15 of the race. Train on hills with tired legs because you hit hills again as you enter Central Park at mile 24.

Practice running in a crowd. Most races thin out after the first few miles. NYC does not. You are elbow to elbow the whole race.

Plan on walking close to two miles AS SOON as you finish. With the sheer mass of humanity waiting to cross behind you you can't even pause at the finish line to catch your breath. You keep moving for up to two miles after you finish. It hurts. One way to avoid at least some of this is to NOT check a bag. Not only do you get out of Central Park faster (you'll still walk a mile at least) but you also get a really cool, fleece lined poncho if you don't check a bag.

Plan on meeting your family at Verdi Square which is located at 73rd and Amsterdam Ave. It's about as close as your family can get to where you exit Central Park and there is a subway station (with an elevator!) right there to take you wherever you need to go in the city.

I liked the energy of the crowds during the marathon and the camaraderie of the fellow runners; however, with so many runners it is tough to maneuver. Also, the amount of participants taking selfies and other pictures, etc. was very frustrating.

It will be crowded and you wait several hours before actually running. Well, at least I did.

I believe it is best to be dropped off in Staten Island from New Jersey or to stay in New Jersey.

Although a challenging marathon.
Excellent experience.
I liked the course, the people, everything.

Definitely a 2nd half very hard with more bridges than 1st half.
Recommend a conservative pace in 1st half to have strong enough for 2nd half.
Slower pace in bridges and km 25, 32, 34 and the begining of central park.

A well located hotel bettween central park and public library where You may walk a few block at morning and back to hotel at the end of the marathon.

Slow transportation to the start was an issue. Great police coverage and volunteer support.

Take the official course tour. It's worth the money.

Leave for the start 3 hours early as it can be a long wait for transportation and to get through security.

Huge crowds, picturesque views, rewarding course.

If you can make it over the bridge into Manhattan, you're set.

Prepare for very lengthy transit from Manhattan to start village. If taking ferry, you'll likely end up waiting on long line for buses. Sit on concrete dividers to rest your legs, then only board a bus where you can claim a seat. If you're offered the chance to stand, take a pass for the next bus. You'll be happy you did: bus transit times take up to 75 minutes. You'll be happy you didn't waste your energy trying to stand up on a rocking bus for an hour!

New York really puts on a marathon. The whole city supports it and makes the runners feel special.

The race has lots of inclines and declines, none terrible but pacing is mostly effort. The "findmy marathon" pace band takes that into consideration and is helpful.

The village wasn't too crowded. Porta potty lines in the corrals were minimal. Volunteers were enthusiastic and competent.

The organization of the race was excellent. I was in the back of the 3rd wave. The spectators were very enthusiastic but in some locations, lacked control. In a few spots they would crowd the streets to the point where we had to adjust our paces significantly to avoid running into spectators or running over the runners in front of us. The water stops at some locations were severely understaffed making getting water a fight. Beautiful weather, fantastic course. Spent more time commuting to the starting village and waiting for the gun than I did running the race.

Very international crowd. Don't expect that everyone around you will speak English. Probably the only marathon I have run that I would consider bringing my own hydration to avoid the water stops.

Getting to the start is a pilgrimage. Mine involved taxi, ferry and a bus ride. Left hotel in TImes Square at 5:15 for a 10:40 start. Getting out of the marathon seemed to take forever but according to the tracker was only 35 minutes.

PROS
Extremely organized, everything works, from picking the bib at the expo, race week events (5k, parade, pasta dinner and discounts on stores and products). Also, the lines to the buses and even on the pasta dinner look big but are very fast.

Staff is incredible. Not only they are there early, 100% of the ones I got in touch with were happy and working with pride. Hats off to NYers.
The race itself is also fantastic. Due to a difficult altímetry at the end I started slow, but could develop more speed since 2018 had perfect weather (favorable temperature, humidity and wind). The crowd is great on every borough, and we have water and isotonic on every mile after mile 3 besides some carbs, banana and medicines in specific miles.

CONS
Time to wait for the start (around 3 hours in Staten Island) I missed the call for my wave, arriving 20 minutes before start time, the Corral was already closed.

Due to road closures and the volume of people on the streets, I missed my mother and wife that were waiting for me near the medal spot. Since I had no mobile phone with me, could only meet them at the hotel. I suggest a retail place as a meeting spot, not a random corner near the end. GPS went mad on the bridges. It showed a very slow pace and after that I changed the way I was calculating my finish time, now by time instead of average pace. I'm not sure if enabling Glonass or Galileo along with GPS would fix that.

Bring a disposable old jacket or coat and some plastic such as a rain cape or garbage bag, to cut the cold wild during wait time.

I'd repeat my strategy. Save in the beginning, between the start and Queensboro bridge, where you can fix a pace on a mostly flat surface and save some energy for the final bridges and Central Park.

Just follow organization guidilnes. Read them all carefully, and understand that informed times are to be followed.

Loved the starting atmosphere, the enthusiasm if the crowds and singing in Brooklyn, the sight up 1st Avenue and the iconic finish in Central Park. So well organised from start to finish on such a huge scale - impressive

Do your homework, lots of bridges and inclines do study the route, hold back after Queensboro and beware if the leg zapping climb up 5th Avenue. Most of all enjoy it

Bus trip was well organised to the start. Prepare for the long wait at the start. Take old clothes and a blanket you can donate.

It was amazing! The volunteers were everywhere and so helpful! It was extremely organized. the crowds were the best in the world. they were everywhere and so encouraging! the amount of water stations, medic areas, toilet, and everything was perfect. you could not have fun it better!

Go to expo and listen to advice on run. It helped a lot!

I stayed at hotel by ferry and it was very convenient.

Spectacular crowd support in the greatest city!!!

VERY WELL DONE!!

Transportation is a "well organized hassle" and makes for a really long morning.

The death march after the finish is VERY sad and lonely...Really no reason for it. They should have been passing out beer and had a band or two there!!

I think it was too many people walking I was in last corral my first marathon , next time need to be in the middle, alot of people already walking mile 1 just taking pictures thats all

Need to be in higher corrals towards the front

Ferry took 2 hrs to get to start line

Well it started off poorly because when I went to get on the bus at MetLife Stadium there was no one there. No one representing the marathon was there to let us know where the buses were. Went to Parkiing lot K, no one there except a few other runners wondering where the transportation was. So.... I had to get a ride to the start. Go there in time!! Also, why were the fluid stations sometimes only on one side of the road? That was difficult to maneuver in such a big marathon. It would be nice if the marathon miles would be a bit larger. I couldn't see them most of the time.

What I liked about the marathon is everything else... great volunteers! So many! Great bands along the course. Love the course, but would love one year to be able to run through Times Square!? Any possibility of that?

The best pacing strategy for my marathons, is to divide the race into 3 stages. The first half, then 30km and then the last 12 kms or 8 miles. The first half marathon keep it very easy. Then the next 9km start to dig a bit deep, and the last 12km is where the marathon starts, and you hold on for dear life.

Crowds are incredible, the support will help carry you! Very well organized in general. Something to improve: there were a few places (late in Brooklyn, upper First Avenue) where the crowds were allowed to congest the course.

Do not go too fast down the bridges. Do not get too excited when you see the big crowds on First Avenue. Save your energy for the annoying long incline on Fifth Avenue in the 24th mile. Do not check your watch as you cross the finish line unless you want that to be your finishing picture - raise your arms or pump your fists instead and wait a few seconds to check your watch (don't worry, they get your time right). Take a selfie with the finish in the background.

The clear bag included with your official race shirt doubles as the checked bag to transport your things from the start to the finish - bring it with you to Staten Island! (But they will give you a replacement if you forget.)

I'd lived in NYC for many years before I decided to run the marathon. It was my third marathon, and the toughest course for me. But it is a gas. The organization is impeccable (sure, some people complain about this or that but I think it's an absolutely amazing feat of urban spectacle). The energy is positive along the whole way, from the 5am bus to the finish line. As a New Yorker, I have a lot of experience with NYRR. It's a top-notch organization that knows how to put a race together and thinks about everyone's safety and enjoyment. The crowds, of course, are wonderful. People warned me about the 59th St. Bridge. I didn't have any trouble going up it, but coming down was hard! And First Ave. is sooo long. Bronx is fine, Harlem fine. But Fifth Avenue ... that slight gradient for a mile or so is killer when you're on mile 22 or whatever it is by then. Dig deep for the finish in Central Park. If I were to gripe about something it's that you have to walk something like another mile to get your warm poncho (if you choose not to check a bag) and that was too long for me. But the logistics are complicated in Central Park--gotta keep people moving.

Just hang back and enjoy the first half. The second half is the hard work, not just because it's the second half, but it's just tough, physically and mentally. Drink, drink, drink water, and take salt. I was severely dehydrated despite drinking at every water station. Didn't take enough salt. Enjoy NYC while you're here!

I would just suggest you visit the NYRR Run Hub and perhaps the Shops at Time Warner in Columbus Circle. If you need a shakeout run, try the Hudson River path. Beautiful, especially around sunset. Or, of course, Central Park, if you can dig the hills. You never know what the weather will be like, so have flexible clothing options. And again, drink lots of water!

Such an amazing course and great crowd support!

Train on hills!

Take the Ferry to the start line. It has bathrooms and wont get lost like my bus did in 2018.

Long wait before the start but crowd of spectators are awesome if you need extra push.

If you want to run your pace and not in the Orange corrals, stay on your left at Brooklyn 4th Avenue stretch from about Mile 2.5 for Blue and Mile 3.3 for Green since Blue and Green runs on the right side of the 4th Avenue. And many in Orange goes to right side since there are lot more spectators on the right side. After Mile 8, course gets very narrow and you'll spend lots of energy weaving in and out. Try not to waste too much energy since you'll have chance to run at full speed again just before Mile 14. After crossing Queensboro Bridge, stay on the right side of 1st Avenue stretch if you want to run your pace. But if you want to support of spectators, write your name on your shirt and stay on the side where you get most support.

Couldn't help you there since I live in Brooklyn and this is local race.

First half is amazing!!!! Back half is tough but worth it!

Expect anything! Very organized but late start.

Eat before running!

I loved the whole atmosphere of the run! There were people the entire route cheering and yelling. It was a giant running party!

Depending on when your run starts, you may have to sit around a while in Staten Island, but who cares as you're running in the world's largest marathon!

Was a nice experience but a terrible marathon. Crowded like crazy, chaotic and super noisy. To much waiting and walking before race (about 3 hours). They make you walk an additional mile just to leave course.

Don't bother trying to negative split. Many pros have fallen trying this.

Bring a lot of money!

Crowd support is beyond words. Cheering fans the whole way except bridges. Noise level comparable to super bowl. Incredibly well organized. Lots of support from enthusiastic people which is remarkable considering how many runners participate.

Course was rolling hills. More difficult than expected. Despite starting in the first corral, there were runners around me the entire way. Never collided before in a race, but had several in NY. But, everyone very polite. The gatorade/water stations were long and easy, but you had to be careful. Don't start too fast. Immediately climbing Verrazano bridge is a warmup.

Plan to enjoy the early morning logistics. Getting their early allows you to chat with others, stay relaxed.

It took 3 hours from ferry to race start and I didn't even drop a bag. Be very cautious. I barely made it to the corral in time. It's also a hilly course, so make sure you train accordingly. Living in coastal Texas-we have no hills, so I was in pain. Overall, it's a great race, very well put on and I can't wait to go again!

Negative split. Train for hills. Have a plan for placing your supporters along the route.

Find a hotel within a block or two of a subway terminal. Too much walking the days before is terrible.

It's really too crowded to run as fast as you could.

It seems to be better to start at the front of the wave behind you than to start at the back of the forward wave. IOW, it's better to move back from Wave 1 Corral E to Wave 2 Corral A.

Crowds are great Support is great

2 half harder than first Long wait till start. Be prepared

Loved the spectators, they really pulled me through the race!

Tougher course than anticipated. Elevation was deceiving.

Stayed at The Beacon Hotel and was in my room showering less than 30 minutes from exiting Central Park! I would DEFINITELY stay there again, SO convenient for this race!

Incredibly well organized! Do this race if you are looking for a once in a lifetime experience. I started in a later wave and felt like the course never really opened up, but glad it didn't because it forces you to really take it all in. So, so fun!

Enjoy every mile! be prepared for crowds from the time you board the ferry to the time you exit the park, but soak in the energy it brings.

There is everything about this experience to like and enjoy; if you run long then run this one.

A good course for negative splits once you get over the bridge and onto First Avenue, you want to have enough to be looking really good through Central Park. You do not want to be walking the last 3 miles. But that said, this is probably not a PR course for most mortals as the 50,000 friends you are running with make straight line sprints into bob and weaves. Water points will slow you down because all your friends are there too!

Stay where you can afford and dry run the trip to your assigned embarkation point a day or two before. Go early to the expo. Have enough to stay warm at the start point, you will be there 1-2 hours. Visit the finish area on Saturday or Sunday. Carefully and with detail plan your meetup point for after the race. Load the app on everyone's phone so that the meeting time can be more accurately established. It will take you a minimum 15 minutes to get out of Central Park.

Amazing organization and public support!!

Mush harder than you think... :) Must pace yourself all the way to mile 20...

It was like I was in the Macy's day parade. I kept thinking, there is no marathon better than this one! Every borough had people screaming, Welcome to Manhattan! Welcome to the Bronx! etc. The housing structures were cool to see.

Able to keep a pretty even pace throughout the race. The Bronx is tough because there aren't as many spectators and it is at mile 18.

Take the ferry. Stay with air bnb

Most spectacular start to any sport event in world! Running through streets with 50 K people and 2 million on the sides cheering. Amazing. Hard to get a fast start but easy to make up time after that. All in all very well planned and supported.

Relax over Bridge . make up time in Brooklyn as the crowd thins. Stick with a pace runner.

You have to get to the meeting area early in morning a 2 or 3 hours before race. You must dress warm and bring a mat to sit or lay on. I used a some old carpet mat , really kept me warm on the ground.

This race has the best organization, amazing volunteers and incredible crowds. It is probably the hardest marathon I have run and is mentally challenging for sure, but it needs to be on the bucket list for all runners.

You MUST go out slow. It is very very exciting to be in NYC and start this race as it feels like a party, but slow build up is key in this race. Soak up the crowds as they will push you when you are feeling like you can't go anymore. LOVE the NYC fans.

Book hotels early. As soon as you receive notice about race transportation, select your option. Do NOT await. Make reservations for anywhere you want to eat early because there may be a ton of restaurants but everyone seems to want to eat the same thing as you!

Great race and crowd support - not a race that you'll likely PB.

Try to stay slow through the first two major bridges.

Good luck - be prepared for a long wait at Ft Wadsworth. Dress warm...

Incredible environment, well run logistically despite crowds.

5th Ave along Central park is a significant hill.

Roll with what's assigned, don't fight the system.

Everything from crowd support to the organization.

Hill work for all the bridges.

Arrive early

Course is tough, better be fit. crowd not as engaged as advertised, but good.

Save it for Williamsburg Bridge and following or pay the price. A lot of up and down. You really have to wait and start racing after mile 18.

Figure out how to get to the start without using race-provided transportation if possible.

Great crowds, excellent support from volunteers and it was buzz about town

Awesome experience. People to run with and crowds cheering the ENTIRE way. Every second. Mile 2, mile 20, ... everywhere 6 people deep on both sides of the street.

Pick the parka option - do not gear check.

Three pick up spots to take you to the start line - find a hotel near them so that boarding the bus or boat at 5:30am is not an issue.

Out of this world.
Organized. Atmosphere. People.
Love it.

Focus.
Keep your pace calm.
Don't get too nervous on the road.

New York Marathon is extremely organize. Go to NYRR website they'll give you one million tips.

Tons of spectators, must for any runner. On negative, way too many runners, can't really set own pace, logístico get to start line is complicated: train from downtown, walk to ferry, wait and take ferry. Walk to buses, wait and take buses, go through traffic, walk to corral. Left my hotel at 4:45 and barely arrive on time for my wave at 10:15...

Get to front of wave

Leave hotel before 4am for 10am start?

Race logistics for the start are horrific. Hanging around for hours at the start. I was tired before the race even started. Upon completion it was like a scene out of the walking dead. Blocks and blocks before you can get out!

That being said, crowds are fantastic.

The energy is unreal! Very exciting and the route makes you feel like your running through different countries as you enter each Boro the people are so welcoming. The trip over the first Bridge takes your breathe away for many reasons. It is VERY well organized and plenty of fans, food, first aid and pottys!

If your taking the ferry to the start just go with the flow of people, don't panic about being there at your exact time got follow the people and it is very easy to follow the route to getting to the start.

I find it best to stay near the finish. the Sheraton on 7th in Time square is a great pic as well as Nylo a smaller yet very nice hotel. Both are runner friendly

Extremely organized, filled with supportive spectators and out of this world experience. Must attempt to participate at least once in life.

Practice hill work-out and prepare of cold & windy race day.

The organizers have well thought out of all situation so participants left with enjoy their marathon!

It was great! it was my first marathon and I'd repeated every single year if I could. People' support is amazing throughout the course. It is very well organized, the volunteers are great, they had always nice words for you and a smile on their face. The Bronx was great!

Expect cold weather and windy. You have to prepare yourself because there is a long wait before you start your race. The course is not even but you will not find hills. Make sure you have your name on your shirt, people scream at you shouting our your name and that was wonderful

Amazing race! the course was well set up, great security, and amazing spectators!!!!

Dress warm before you start!!! Wear brand new clothes that you want to donate to those who need them, and shed them at the starting line.....

Use the hotel that is offered by the race, for transportation to the starting line in the morning....its pricey, but it is worth it!!!

Like: Music, course, crowd support,shirt, finisher poncho, pictures

Improvement Needed:
*somehow more time within start waves to make race more raceable in waves 3 & 4
*longer aid stations with break between Gatorade & water

So many runners unless you're in wave 1 just run & enjoy the city & spectators along the course as hard to race for a PR

*Hotel discounts would be nice
*Host hotels could provide bananas, bagels, peanut butter & coffee Race morning as time to get to start with ferry busses & security screening takes a lot of time K

The best. I've raced the nyc marathon 5 times . The course and crowds are just fantastic.