1. If you go with an official agency, you have the most comfortable option, because they take you from the hotel doorstep to the exit of the legendary Verrazzano Bridge. If you don’t have this service or you’ve landed in one of the later waves, my recommendation is to go by boat (it’s free) from Battery Park to Staten Island. It’s an option that allows you to squeeze more time and spend less time in the start area. Plus, you get the views of the Statue of Liberty as you sail.
2. Only people with bib numbers can enter the start area (they check you one by one). There is strict entry control with security arches, as if you were boarding a flight. Only the clear bags provided by the organizers are allowed; any backpack, even a CamelBak, is prohibited.
La espera hasta la salida (hay cinco oleadas, la primera de ellas a las 8:55 h y luego cada 30 minutos) se organiza en un campamento con tres áreas: la rosa, la naranja y la azul, que corresponden a las tres zonas de salida. Puedes moverte libremente, pero mi consejo es que lo primero que hagas sea localizar muy bien tu entrada al cajón, ya que los cierran 45 minutos antes de cada salida y no dan ni un segundo de cortesía. Si llegas tarde, no te quedas sin correr, pero tienes que esperar a la siguiente oleada. Dentro de los cajones también hay servicios para un último pis.
La espera hasta la salida (hay cinco oleadas, la primera de ellas a las 8:55 h y luego cada 30 minutos) se organiza en un campamento con tres áreas: la rosa, la naranja y la azul, que corresponden a las tres zonas de salida. Puedes moverte libremente, pero mi consejo es que lo primero que hagas sea localizar muy bien tu entrada al cajón, ya que los cierran 45 minutos antes de cada salida y no dan ni un segundo de cortesía. Si llegas tarde, no te quedas sin correr, pero tienes que esperar a la siguiente oleada. Dentro de los cajones también hay servicios para un último pis.
La espera hasta la salida (hay cinco oleadas, la primera de ellas a las 8:55 h y luego cada 30 minutos) se organiza en un campamento con tres áreas: la rosa, la naranja y la azul, que corresponden a las tres zonas de salida. Puedes moverte libremente, pero mi consejo es que lo primero que hagas sea localizar muy bien tu entrada al cajón, ya que los cierran 45 minutos antes de cada salida y no dan ni un segundo de cortesía. Si llegas tarde, no te quedas sin correr, pero tienes que esperar a la siguiente oleada. Dentro de los cajones también hay servicios para un último pis.
3. You need to bring a lot of warm clothing (and don’t feel guilty if you have to discard it, because they collect it for those in need), since at that time of day and by the sea it’s usually quite cold. You wait outdoors and seated on a curb, so bring something to sit on the ground.
Desde los atentados del maratón de Boston se prohibieron las tiendas de campaña, los sacos de dormir, los edredones y las caretas que impidan ver el rostro, además de los disfraces que excedan el perímetro del cuerpo (ya no es posible, por ejemplo, ir vestido de la Torre Eiffel).
Lo normal es estar ya en la salida sobre las siete de la mañana, así que lo lógico es desayunar allí. En el campamento hay barra libre de café, té, agua, plátanos y bagels, que puedes combinar con tu yogur con cereales o con lo que sea tu desayuno habitual.
4. There are three corrals. If you got pink, better switch it, because runners exit from the bottom side of the Verrazzano Bridge and you miss the best views. To switch, you just have to go to any blue or orange corrals whose number is higher than yours.
Lo mismo si sois varios amigos y queréis ir juntos: podéis hacerlo yendo a la salida del que tenga el dorsal más alto y la letra del cajón más alta en el abecedario.
5. The big moment arrives. Some Broadway actor performs the American national anthem live and, after the Marines’ cannon, Sinatra’s New York, New York blasts at full volume.
Don’t rush to shed the clothing. A tip: keep a warm hoodie on until you descend from the bridge (about 3 km), because it’s usually very windy and easy to get cold.
Public access to the bridges is not allowed, but as soon as you come down from Verrazzano you enter Brooklyn, where the crowds are most alive. Among the excitement, the favorable route to the half marathon and the deafening cheering, it’s easy to let adrenaline carry you away… and then pay the price.
The cheering is so intense that when you enter Williamsburg, around kilometer 16, you almost notice the calm of this area, the Jewish neighborhood, where, being Sunday, it’s a working day.
6. The half marathon is at the midpoint of the Pulaski Bridge climb, which takes you into Queens, where you’ll stay until the Queensboro Bridge (km 25). That’s where things start to get serious. It’s a 1.5 km incline with an average gradient of 3.3% that feels a bit suffocating, since the course is quite narrow and, suddenly, there’s silence… But just as you descend and enter First Avenue you’ll experience a very special moment, because as you descend the bridge you hear the roar of the thousands of people waiting for you in Manhattan.
7. I always say the wall in New York arrives earlier. The body is already battered from the flight, plus jet lag and the early start. If you add the climb of the bridge to that, if you haven’t conserved energy, it’s easy to start having problems already on First Avenue: a nearly seven-kilometer long, very wide stretch, where you gradually shrink.
It’s packed with spectators and it’s a good idea to run along a side to feel more sheltered. I always say that when you reach First Avenue, there is a very easy test to see how you’re doing: if you see it as flat, you’re doing well; if you see it as uphill, that’s a bad sign (it actually has a small positive grade).
8. In the Bronx you’re a little under three kilometers from the finish and there are fewer spectators, but the vibe is still great. A new bridge, the Madison Avenue Bridge, takes you to Harlem, on the way to the big final challenge: running along Fifth Avenue and its 79 blocks (from 138th to 59th). Look at the profile, because the climb up Fifth Avenue at km 36 makes many people throw in the towel and walk it. Keep that in mind to reserve energy and take a gel around km 35.
When you leave Fifth Avenue to enter Central Park, as soon as you enter there is a flat area. Use it to recover, because after that come the continuous climbs and descents in the park.
Very soon you’ll be in those magical final 600 meters, with the flags of all participating countries… But the finish in New York has a final price: the finish line is uphill!
Very important: under no circumstances should you cross the finish line if you have not completed the entire course, as the organizers will disqualify you and ban you from running the New York Marathon again. Unfortunately, I know several cases.
9. When you cross the finish line, a volunteer will hand you your finisher medal and offer their best congratulations!. You’ve finished the marathon, but you still have another one.
Por cerca que esté tu hotel, calcula un mínimo de 45 minutos para llegar. Eso sí, frío no vas a pasar, porque en meta te dan un estupendo poncho (con forro polar interior y capucha). Y hambre tampoco: te dan la llamada recovery bag, con una manzana, agua, bebida isotónica, una barrita y unos frutos secos.
Un truco es llevar un billete de 20 dólares en el pantalón para poder comprarte algo de comer mientras peregrinas hacia el hotel. Mejor que el billete sea de 50 por si te ves tan mal que tienes que coger un taxi o una de estas bicicletas tripuladas que hay junto a Central Park.
10. The Medal Monday was invented in New York. Even if you have to go down the stairs backward, on Monday everyone wears their medal. People you don’t know will be congratulating you and, moreover, the medal gives you access to several promotions.
Este año, por ejemplo, te dejarán entrar gratis en el Museo Americano de Historia Natural, tendrás un 30 % de descuento para subir al SUMMIT One Vanderbilt o podrás subir al Top of the Rock por solo 26 dólares. También podrás conseguir una segunda entrada gratis para el Museo del 11-S o comerte una hamburguesa gratis en cualquiera de los restaurantes Shake Shack que hay por todo Manhattan.
