The New York City Marathon is unparalleled. Just getting to the start alone is a journey in and of itself. Once you're on the line, you're greeted by a mile long monster in the Verrazano Bridge and it only gets crazier from there. Three million spectators all screaming at the top of their lungs for you interrupted by moments of eery silence on the six other bridges you'll face over the 26.2 miles. They say if you can PR here, you can PR anywhere. Here's our advice for running your best race on Sunday...
1. Let the energy build. NYC Marathon is a daunting course, respect it. Best way to connect with the race course is through patience and progression. Start off conservatively, feel out the weather, the wind, the pack... and let it all build, slowly. Brooklyn is all warm up, back off on the hills, chill on the turns and settle into knocking down each mile with minimal effort. Let the momentum carry you and push off gratification for as long as possible. It’ll pay off in the last 10 miles.
2. Limit your expectations. Once you cross the starting mat, the marathon soon devolves into a blend of landscapes, bodies, and unruly chaos. Do your best to conquer these variables by not having expectations—and with that, take what the marathon gives you. Prime yourself to embrace the cheers, tuck in behind packs of runners and let the athlete attrition spotlight who your true teammates will be on the course that day. They may be strangers now, but you may have formed a life long appreciation after Sunday.
3. Conserve your energy from the crowd. The easiest thing to underestimate about the NYC Marathon is how insane the crowd is and how energy-draining it can be. It feels like it's giving you life, but trust—every wave to the crowd, look from left to right, shouting back—is energy that should be used to purely run. Use it when you need it, ignore it when you don't.
4. Know where your support is. Going off that, have your plan to see your 1-2 groups of true supporters (family, best friends, coach) dialed in. Know if they're on runner's left or right and exactly where on the course they will be. Depending on your goals—stop for a quick hug and get back to it. Especially later on in the course, it's important not to kill the momentum in your legs.
4. Absorb the landscape. There is no better feeling than running the streets of NYC unencumbered by tourists, cyclists, or vehicles. Take in the sights across each borough and after you turn for home, no matter what state you are in when you enter Central Park, remember that you are inching closer and closer to earning the title of a New York City Marathon finisher. Let it sink in and embrace the struggle and pain over the last few miles of this iconic course.
5. Tap into gratitude. This is the NYC Marathon, the greatest race on earth and widely considered the best day of the year in New York. And you get to star in it. Whether it's your first New York or your fifteenth, run with a smile, be grateful to be part of something so special, and enjoy the ride. Remember how you felt when you found out you got in and how excited or nervous you may have been. Reflect on the past 16 weeks of training and every ounce of fitness you've earned. The whole city is excited to celebrate you. Tap in!
Speed round:
- Have your fuel plan set and stick to it (more is more, less is less)
- Don't stress about your time over the first 2 miles, they're not important
- Put your name on your top if you want some personal cheers
- Put your head down and drive up those bridges until you reach the crest
- Ignore the hundreds of billboards trying to steal your attention
- Water stops are rarely a bad idea
