3rd of November – New York marathon

The alarm went off at 0430 and I met up with a couple of people in the hotel reception and left at 0520 to go to the pickup location where we got onto a bus that took us to the starting area. As opposed to Boston they used tourist busses and not school busses so there was plenty of leg room available for the 1½ hour drive. It wasn’t because it was far away but the last half hour we were stuck in a queue of busses letting runners off. Getting there around 0730 meant there was quite the wait until my wave started at 1020. The wait time was spent walking around in the huge starting area trying to stay warm; while the temps would be around 10-12 degrees during the run it was barely half that as long as you weren’t standing in the wind, so a lot of the time was spent trying to find a place where you’d be in the sun but out of the wind – but when you found a spot like that it was quite nice. There were free handouts of bagels, coffee, teas, water and energy drinks. The New York marathon is the one I have experienced with the most of such things and plenty of similarly large runs would be very welcome to feel inspired by this.

At 0945 the corrals were opened, 15 minutes later they were closed again and a few moments later we were all channeled from the corrals forward to the starting line. With 5 starting waves there would be an average of app. 11.000 people getting ready to run at this moment.

Crossing the Verrazzano bridge.

With the national anthem sung (of not for that and all the flags, how would we even know we were in the US?) we were finally let go at 1020. We started by leaving the first borough (Long Island) by crossing the Verrazzano bridge from where we had an excellent clear view of the south end of Manhattan. The was a slight cold breeze but barely a cloud, so conditions were nice. After the bridge we passed a 2-mile sign and I couldn’t help myself proclaiming “don’t worry – only 24 miles to go!”. The woman running next to me gave me a look that showed without a doubt that she was not nearly as enthused by that comment as I was. Tough crowd.

Crossing the bridge we entered Brooklyn and from there it was mostly just a straight line north, passing through Queens, before crossing Queensboro Bridge into Manhattan. Even if there was a unitedness in the boroughs themselves, styles, visual expressions and the level of support changed on an almost street by street basis. It was constantly changing and plenty for a runner to look at and take in, especially for someone who wasn’t local, but what they all had in common was at times overwhelming support for the runners.

With few exceptions there were water stations at every mile which meant it was easy skipping half. This seemed to be a common theme among the runners, and it also helped take some of the pressure off the stations with the numerous participants. I noticed in the beginning that the stations seemed quite short relative to how many people ran, but considering most people skipped a few here and there it made sense. Towards the end the temperatures had risen enough that getting a sip of water at every station seemed justified (and appreciated), but at least the humidity never got to the level as it had been on Friday morning. That would have been horrible.

Reaching Manhattan we were met by a wall of noise. A mile on the bridge made you get used to the silence except for the footsteps, but reaching 1st avenue you were met with countless loud spectators welcoming us to Manhattan – an almost shocking experience if you weren’t prepared for it. Running up 1st avenue all the way to the Bronx is rough; mostly mentally because you can see very far ahead and it’s hard to ignore the fact that you can see an incline almost all the way. It isn’t steep at all and you probably wouldn’t feel it if you couldn’t see it under normal circumstances, but it just keeps going forever. You just have to dig down, grab the occasional water and let the support and routine carry you forward. You crossed the 25km mark on the middle of Queensboro Bridge so there was still a bit to go from here.

Crossing the bridge back into Manhattan after the Bronx.

Reaching the Bronx we basically did a few miles large 180 degree turn before returning to Manhattan where we now were running south, reaching Central Park and running through the southern part of it, ran along the south end, coming through Columbus Circle before reentering the park and running the last 400 meters before crossing the finish line.

Running through Central Park 2km and change before the finish.

Reaching the finish line.

From there there was still a bit of walking left to get our medals, snacks and ponchos before being able to find an exit and leave the finishing area. From the finish line and to leaving was probably a few kilometers and getting to the hotel was another 2ish kilometers. I could have taken the subway but that would have required me to walk on stairs, and in this case I preferred having to walk a bit more instead. Back at the hotel I had a shower followed by collapsing onto the bed. It felt good not doing much for a few hours.

Anyways, numbers! I finished in 4:03:14. So my usual goal of sub-4 hours wasn’t met, but to be honest this wasn’t expected, either. But it does mean that I improved my time from the last time I ran New York with more than 8 minutes which was nice. This also means that the average finish time for my 6 completed marathon majors is 3:59:28 which is an extra bonus. I can’t be disappointed with that. I ended up finishing as 20141 out of 55530 overall (top 36,27%), 14304 out of 30702 men (top 46,59%) and 2147 out of 4287 in M40-44 (top 50,08%). Also 57 out of 111 Danes (top 51,35%). Overall a result I am happy with. The average man ran it in 4:17:48 and average woman in 4:48:29. The fastest was a Dutch guy who did it in 2:07:39, the slowest an American woman in 11:47:55, youngest a Danish 18 years old women and oldest an 88 years old New Zealander man.

Final (?) update for the Abbott World Marathon Majors

As mentioned previously the Tokyo marathon opened up for more participants through travel agents, so suddenly I got moved up 2 years meaning that instead of running Tokyo marathon and completing my 6 Marathon Majors in March 2026 I got the opportunity to do it in 2024. I didn't need much convincing to do that.

This means that I have now completed the 6 marathons majors as follows:

Berlin - September 2019 - 3:58:16
New York - November 2019 - 4:11:53
Boston - April 2022 - 3:59:30
Chicago - October 2022 - 3:58:02
London - April 2023 - 3:58:42
Tokyo - March 2024 - 3:59:06

So this is the final update for the marathon majors.

Well, maybe not completely final; Cape Town and Sidney are considered candidate runs in an attempt to be accepted as the 7th and 8th majors, and further out Shanghai is also lurking on the horizon. Interesting times ahead. But for now, I'm enjoying the accomplishment and my new medal.

New update for Abbott World Marathon Majors

With last year's completion of Chicago and Boston marathons, and the mail received letting me participate in the 2023 London marathon, things have been moving forward in more sense than one. On top of that its satisfying being able to cross them off one at a time. This means that 4 of the World Marathon Majors are complete, one is in the near future and one is still some years in the future.

As things are currently, this is the current schedule, past and future.

Berlin - September 2019
New York - November 2019
Boston - April 2022
Chicago - October 2022
London - April 2023
Tokyo - March 2026

So in a few months I will have only one left, so I guess I'll have to find other runs in the mean time to keep me on my toes. Sounds like a horrible concept. Also, there are rumors that they are planning on adding another run to the group, so even if I can see the end of it now it might change in the future. It'll be interesting to see how that turns out as there have been talk for a long time to add more run(s). We'll see, but I worry this will be an endless chase with always another one in the future that has just been added, and not being able to actually finish the group like I did with the Superhalfs. 

3rd of November – Race day

We got picked up at the hotel as early as 0530 to go to the starting area of the marathon. This was due to the city wanting the busses out before 0600 and a potential jam at the drop-off point with the many busses arriving with runners that could potentially take a while to get through. An hour of transport later, with more and more busses appearing along the way we were dropped off and queueing up for the security check. This was much quicker than expected and a few moments later we were let into the starting area. The starting area had multiple booths with drinks, snacks and a bit of food. There were some delicious raisin/cinnamon bagels, energy bars, bananas, coffee/tea/hot chocolate and several other things. The bagels were absolutely delicious, and they even had a support animal corner so you could get to pet a few happy dogs if you needed to be calmed down before the start. Annoyingly, there had been a lot of talk about the many porta potties there had been set up and yet there were still long queues by them.

From 0830 the non-runners (wheelchairs etc.) were sent off. At 0920 pro women started and at 0950 pro men and the first wave were sent off. After that there were 3 waves; 1015, 1040 and 1100. Every wave start consisted of three groups (green, blue and yellow) who were split up in three slightly different routes the first 10-12km before everybody merged into one. The system seems a bit weird but when in the middle of it you realize it’s a pretty clever way of avoiding too much congestion when you have 10.000-15.000 people in each wave. Instead you take advantage of both levels of the first bridge and slightly different streets afterwards to get things flowing without too much hassle.

In contrast the previous days today was clear with barely a single cloud, only a gentle breeze, and around 9°C at start. The weather was close to perfect for running, but the Verrazzano-Narrows bridge which is literally the first thing of the course (the starting line was on the base of the incline on the Staten Island side) is tall and completely exposed to the Atlantic to the east which could potentially make way for very cold conditions. But with the wind in our backs and the sun up and shining unhindered it was a beautiful crossing with an amazing view of Manhattan to the west – and it was made better by being in the group that was sent on the top level of the bridge instead of those being on the bottom level.

Coming down from the bridge we entered Brooklyn and we saw the first signs of what we could expect from the rest of the run: lots and lots of people all along the course cheering us on, and loudly so. Having completed the run I’d say that the New York marathon is a 42km long block party where everyone, participants and onlookers, are all having a great time. Entering Brooklyn we went north and passing the 20km marker we entered Queens where we had a few kilometres before crossing the Queensboro Bridge to Manhattan. The bridge was as long as the Verrazzano-Narrows bridge but not as tall and not nearly as exposed. It made it an easier pass as the incline was more forgiving but it was still a long haul up, especially having already run 24km.

Coming over the bridge it was completely silent except for the soft steps from all the runners, but coming down and getting within hearing range of 1^st Avenue you could hear an almost roar from the people lining the street on both side waiting for us to come down. Running 1^st Avenue all the way up to the bridge to the Bronx the cheering was much appreciated as the avenue was almost 6km of completely straight line with a slight constant incline. It wasn’t much of an incline but looking ahead you could definitely see the end was higher than the beginning, and the legs could definitely feel it by now, but it was relieving to see other runners around me seemingly also struggling at this point.

Along for the run. Looking pretty happy at this point.

Photo taken by MarathonFoto.

Coming to the northern point of Manhattan we crossed the bridge into the Bronx where we spent a few kilometres before retuning south into Manhattan again on 5^th Avenue. Halfway down along Central Park we entered the park for the last few kilometres of the run. Here the support along the course was intense and people were really into it. We arrived at 59^th street which brought us along the south border of the park and re-entered at the western corner for the last 500 meters to the finish line.

Entering Central Park I'm still feeling pretty good.

Photo taken by MarathonFoto.

I was surprised to find out that despite the large scale of the entire thing it was until after 30km that the water stations started handing out bananas, but otherwise you’d have to rely on what you brought along for yourself. Or, as I did, you could take advantage of that many of the onlookers supplied fruits of various kinds, snacks, candy and whatnot throughout the entire run. At one point I was running with a massive wedge of cantaloupe melon and at another time I shoved a quarter orange in my mouth just enjoying the needed juiciness. And someone else handed out donut holes which might not have been the perfect food for a run but were really good, still. The candy I skipped as it was all wrapped and I couldn’t be bothered fiddling with wrapping while still trying to keeping attention on the course and other runners.

20 meters before the finish line and I'm still looking - and feeling! - happy.

Photo taken by MarathonFoto.

There were pacers for this run, too, as with any other marathon, but I only spotted one in the starting block and one briefly when we had reached Manhattan. The issue was that as opposed to other runs I’ve run, these pacers ran with a sign in their hand, one side with the pace in min/miles, and the other with the finishing time. The one I saw in Manhattan in front of me was running with the sign pointing the finishing time forward so seeing the min/mile pace was of absolutely no help. I don’t understand why they didn’t use balloons or flags mounted on their backs, I mean – all runners swing their arms when running, and you want people to carry a sign visible to surrounding runners? That was pretty unhelpful.

Crossing the finish line we were, as usual, pushed forward to not block the runners coming in behind us, where we after some walking got our medals and goodie-bag (snacks, drinks, etc.). From there we had to keep walking – and walking some more before taking a u-turn (uphill, even! UPHILL!) out onto 8^th Avenue and returning south again where we were handed out finishing parkas (and opposed to those you got in Berlin these were really, really, nice!) after which we could finally exit the finishing area. From there was a short (but feeling less so) walk to the closest subway station and grabbing the line that stopped right outside the hotel (literally less than 50 steps from the hotel entrance) and returning to my room for a much-needed shower and relaxation. At least I hadn’t opted for having a bag brought from the starting area to the finishing area, as those who had done so had to go way further north in Central Park before being able to collect their things and exit. I am glad I missed out on that extra distance after finishing. And I would have missed out on the nice parka.

My official finishing time was 4:11:53. I didn’t reach my goal of sub-4 hours, but having fully enjoyed the 42km long block party I actually don’t mind. I genuinely had a lot of fun running this marathon. I ended up 131 out of 244 Danes (top 53,69%), 2422 out of 4650 in my age group (top 52,09%), 14237 out of 30799 men (top 46,23%) and 20038 out of 53518 in total (top 37,44%). My gun place was 19457 which means I only dropped 581 places throughout the run. That was a pleasant surprise – I thought I had dropped further due to my slowdown towards the end (but looking at the graph it was a much smaller drop in pace than I assumed) and losing places during a 1-1½ minute pee break at 10km, but as usual, despite feeling like I was the only one, I was obviously not alone in struggling towards the end.

The last runner came in at 10:23:57. The average finish time was 4:37:59. The youngest was 18, the oldest finisher was an American 87-year-old woman who finished in 6:16:39. Respect. Unofficially, runners were still able to cross the finish line and getting timed after the race formally ending which means there were even longer registered times, though they were not registered as official finishers: the longest time someone spent on the race was 13:17:37, and the last one finished at 23:14 (after having spent 12:06:03 on the run).

After a 3-ish hour rest (I was at least smart enough to not have a walk around to do some sight-seeing) we were picked up by the bus that drove us out to the west side of Manhattan where we boarded a boat. Here we had dinner with a tasty buffet (but the carrot cake was out when I made it to dessert – boo!) and sailing up and down the Hudson river, down past the south point of Manhattan and a bit up East river before returning to port on Hudson river. The weather gave us some great views of the Manhattan skyline in the dark. Took the bus straight back to the hotel (and no one seemed interested in going out for drinks as we saw in Berlin) and passed out almost immediately when hitting the bed.

Manhattan seen from the west just after leaving.

Having just passed the south point of Manhattan. 

The building in the lower left corner is Whitehall Terminal where ferries come and go.

Brooklyn Bridge with southern Manhattan.

Manhattan seen from the south, Brooklyn Bridge to the right.

Return to the city that never sleeps

I hadn’t planned on returning to the US anytime soon, mostly because of my trip to Iran in 2017. Because of that trip I won’t be able to apply for an easy ESTA, but instead I need to go through the lengthy process of getting a visa. The something popped up that I couldn’t keep my hands off of, and I booked a trip back to New York. I am weak.

I have fun memories of New York, and while I probably won’t have much time to spare when returning it’ll still be fun to get back there and experience it all over again.

31^st of October – 2^nd of November

Flight to New York and arriving the afternoon of the same day of departure giving two full days to prepare. I’ve booked a spot on one of the course tours where we get to see the route we will be going, and hoping to join the breakfast run on the 2^nd in the morning. That will give two afternoons where I can bumble around as I please.

3^rd of November

Race day for New York marathon. It’s regarded as the world’s biggest marathon with more than 50.000 runners each year. Starting in Staten Island it will start crossing the bridge into Brooklyn, going north up through Queens before crossing over onto Manhattan, turning north again up to The Bronx before u-turning back south into Central Park. The day, hopefully after a successful completion of the race, will be concluded with a dinner cruise.

4^th – 6^th of November

The Monday the 4^th will be spent on a bus tour south to Washington DC where we get to see all the must-sees in the US capitol before returning to New York in the evening. Fly home the next day in the late afternoon and come home the following morning.

This will be the fourth marathon I have planned for this year, and not having run anything like that before I am beginning to question my sanity. In any case I think it will be a great experience and New York always have something that’s worth seeing (or eating).