New York

NYRR Queens 10k – Tian

Race: NYRR Queens 10k

Runner: Tian

Date: 6/17/17

Location: Corona, NY

Results – 51:45

3 Bests – what aspects of the race did you like the most
First I think the race was very popular. There were many people coming to this race with 10874 finishers. Running with so many people is pretty enjoyable. Another thing I like is that the race was well organized by NYRR and amazing volunteers. Even though it was just a 10k race, it has all kinds of service runners need – water, energy drink, medical etc. The race is also very close to Flushing, where I got a lot of delicious Chinese food after the race.

Not so much – aspects of the race that didn’t do it for you
I wasn’t comfortable with the hot and humid weather right before a thunderstorm on that day, and the feeling made my leg heavier and heavier.

Weird factor – what’s the weirdest thing about this race
There are few spectators, but you can see some people playing guitar/ singing along the route.

Highlights of your race – what did you do well and enjoy about your race in particular
I remembered to do some warmup before the race, which helps a lot at the beginning of the race. I also controlled my pace at the first couple miles into the race. I used to have the problem of running fast at the beginning and out of power at the end.

Lessons for others – share your pro-tips on the race to help the next runner
Get hydrated before the race and be prepared for the hot weather.

Lessons you learned that will help you next time around
Keep hydrated.

Most important course specific knowledge to know about the race
It is pretty similar to the course you would encounter in big city parks.

Aesthetics – is it a pretty course
It’s a so-so course in the city park, so don’t expect too much 🙂

Difficulty – is it a tough course
It is a flat loop around Flushing Meadows park except one uphill on bridge to cross the highway.

Organized and well run – did it feel like a well-oiled machine or were they flying by the seat of their pants?
It was definitely well organized and well run.

Competition – is there a strong field?
I would say yes. Everyone was seious about the time and speeding up during the last half mile.

Logistics – Does it require a special handshake, registration a year in advance, hotels all booked? Give us the low down on the nuts and bolts of making the race happen.
It is in Queens, so you will need take 30-40 mins subway to get there if you live in Manhattan. NYRR usually opens registration around February every year.

Aid Stations
Aid stations are placed every mile.

Weather and typical race conditions –
It really depends on your luck. Hot and humid weather most likely, but you can also have rain/ breezy weather.

Gear – did you need anything special or is there anything you’d recommend for the next guy?
Nothing special. Regular road race.

Spectators – is this a friendly course for your friends
Yes, the course is in the park, so the spectator can have some place to explore while you are racing.

Awards –
NYRR has several hundred bucks for top finishers. http://www.nyrr.org/prizemoney

The Overall Score – how many stars do you give this race and do you recommend that others run it
I will give it four out of five stars. One star is missing because it’s not that convenient to get to this course. If you happen to be in NYC, definitely check out this race.

New York Marathon – Emily M

Runner Emily reviews her experience of the NYC Marathon in 2016. Read on for her advice on hills, booking your hotel, and more!

Race: NYC Marathon – http://www.tcsnycmarathon.org/

Runner: Emily M

Date: 11/6/2016

Location: New York City

Results – 4:50:24 (PR)

3 Bests – What aspects of the NYC Marathon did you like the most?

  • The spectators were amazing!
  • Very well organized
  • The course itself was really nice!  You got to run through so many different areas and never repeated a section

Not so much – What aspects of the NYC Marathon didn’t work for you?

It was a lot hillier then I expected and it was a long walk out of the chute.  Early start to get to the bus (5:45am), but a long wait until the actual race (10:40am)

Also, the expo was nice but packed!  I didn’t get my shirt size that I wanted because I got there on Saturday afternoon but it still worked out fine

Weird factor – What’s the weirdest thing about the NYC Marathon?

Some of the spectator signs were pretty weird but kept me preoccupied which was nice

Highlights of your race – what did you do well and enjoy about your race in particular?

I stayed steady and never really felt like I hit “the wall”.  I finished slower than I wanted to but I think that was because the NYC marathon course was so hilly.  I trained for the bridges but my knees started to hurt around mile 16 so I walked at the water stops after that.

After the Queensboro Bridge, runners were dropping like flies.  I actually stopped to help a man that fell to his knees, holding his chest and saying he was weak.  Another runner helped me get him safely to a medic and then we kept going.  I put this as a highlight because it felt good helping a fellow runner in need (I just hope he was ok!). The medics were everywhere and moved quickly.

dover running coachLessons for others – share your pro-tips on the NYC Marathon to help the next runner

Opt for the race poncho instead of bag check for after the race.  It’s a long walk either way but shorter if you get the poncho (it’s a nice fabric one that you can keep!)

If you can get there on Thursday or Friday, I highly recommend it.  We didn’t get there until Saturday and it felt like everything moved so quickly

Lessons you learned that will help you next time around

Fundraising is hard!!  I’m proud of what I did and it was really fun to have people yelling “Go St. Jude!”, though.

Most important course-specific knowledge to know about the NYC Marathon

You have to pick transportation to the starting line so try to pick a hotel that is close to a subway if nothing else.  It’s a 60-90 min bus ride or there are other options as well.

Watch for aid stations!  They put several right after mile markers and people just randomly stopped so you have to pay close attention

Mile 23 is rough!!  Continuous incline which felt like it took forever!

Aesthetics – is the NYC Marathon a pretty course?

Portions were pretty.  I loved finishing in Central Park!  Running over the Verrazano Bridge and getting to see the city was awesome!

Difficulty – is the NYC Marathon a tough course?

I’m not used to hills so it was challenging for me.  None were really that steep so if you’re used to hills then you’ll probably be just fine.

Organized and well run – did it feel like a well-oiled machine or were they flying by the seat of their pants?

Extremely well run.  The app kept runners and spectators in the loop and made things very easy from start to finish

Competition – is there a strong field?

I’m guessing so.

Logistics – Does it require a special handshake, registration a year in advance, hotels all booked? Give us the low down on the nuts and bolts of making the race happen.

The NYC Marathon requires you to qualify by time, get in from the lottery, or fundraise for a charity to enter. I didn’t get in from the lottery so I chose to fundraise and run for St. Jude.  It was a lot of work raising money but the experience was something I’ll never forget!  I booked my hotel fairly early and took the train in from Philadelphia.  We were within a few blocks of pretty much everything-subway, expo, Times Square-so it was easy to get around throughout the weekend.

How were the aid stations?

More than enough!

Weather and typical race conditions

My NYC Marathon race-day was 50s, sunny, a little bit of wind but not too bad.  My ideal racing conditions

Gear – did you need anything special or is there anything you’d recommend for the next guy?

The security is pretty strict so make sure to read all the rules.  I had my headphones and a regular belt to hold my phone but that’s it.  You can’t have any sort of camelback/backpack while running but regular hydration belts are fine.  With all the aid stations, I opted not to carry the extra weight.  They give you a clear plastic bag at the expo for race morning but won’t let you take anything else in once you get to Staten Island to the Start.

Spectators – is this a friendly course for your friends?

My friends/family saw me 3 times.  They took the Subway and said it wasn’t bad.  You have to pay for a VIP pass to see the finish so no one was there to see me cross the line which kind of sucked.  There were still plenty of spectators and volunteers at the end, though

How were the awards/SWAG?

A really nice medal!!

The Overall Score – how many stars do you give the NYC Marathon and do you recommend that others run it

I highly recommend this race!  It’s expensive but totally worth the experience in my opinion.  The volunteers and spectators really helped to make it a great race!

Thinking about running a race? Check out our coach’s tips for finding the best running race for you.

new york city marathon matt urbanski

NYC Marathon Race Report – Matt U

In this NYC Marathon race report, Matt Urbanski shares his experience running the 2016 marathon and what you need to know for your race!

2016 NYC Marathon Race Report

Race: NYC Marathon – http://www.tcsnycmarathon.org/

Runner: Matt U

Date: 11/6/2016

Location: New York City

Results – 313th place out of 51,390 finishers; 2:49.27

3 Bests – what aspects of the NYC Marathon did you like the most?

  • Great spectators and energy on the course. This is a one of a kind marathon.
  • The weather was near perfect. Cool and crisp autumn day with sunshine.
  • It felt “big time”. There were nearly 52,000 runners in this race. Everything from the expo to the start area, to the finish were all huge. What an experience!

Not so much – what aspects of the NYC Marathon didn’t do it for you?

  • The slow going to get to the start area nearly had Dave and me locked out of our front start corral. Granted, we should have taken an earlier ferry to Staten Island, but based on some info we received at the expo, we thought we were fine, until the lines at the ferry terminal, which lead to lines for the bus at Staten Island, which lead to standstill traffic bussing to the start….we finally got the bus driver to let us off the bus and we ran to the start area, arriving just as our corral was being closed.

Weird factor – what’s the weirdest thing about the NYC Marathon?

  • Not an easy question for me to answer, but as I think about it, it seems odd that they have us start on Staten Island. It feels like such a pain to get over there for the start, whereas a start that was near the finish in Central Park may be way easier logistically. What do I know? I have to believe someone is thinking about this and there is a good reason for starting on SI, but what a hassle!

Highlights of your race – what did you do well and enjoy about your race in particular?

  • I smiled a lot and kept it relatively under control throughout. I faded in the final 10k but not horribly so. I ran to my fitness, though I would have liked my fitness to have been better!

Lessons for others – share your pro-tips on the NYC Marathon to help the next runner

  • Wear warm clothes that you can donate at the start area. There was so much standing around prior to the start. Be ready for it with food, drink, and warm clothes. We had a nice year with sunny weather. If it were rainy and cold, the long wait times for the start could be awful and totally throw off your race.
  • It’d be easy to get too excited on this course. I started in the front corral and I somehow still managed to be dodging people left and right for nearly 5 miles, wondering the entire time how most of the people I was passing ever got in front of me in the first place. I tried to remember to not waste energy at this point, but it was tough because the course was so packed and the crowds so loud.

Lessons you learned about the NYC Marathon that will help you next time around

  • Start my journey to start earlier. Bring more warm clothes. Bring water. Also, have a specific plan for what you’re doing when the race is over. The big lessons to learn from this race revolve less around the race itself and more around the pre and post-race logistical issues. With a race this big, it is a mad house to get anywhere. We had to walk more than a half mile just to get out of the shoot after the race was over. It was more walking after that to get anywhere one would need to go. Be ready for this and have a plan – it’ll make your day much better.

Most important course specific knowledge to know about the NYC Marathon

  • If you don’t run hills, then this course can be challenging. Be ready for the hills. Even with some hill training, I found the bridge during mile 15-16 to be challenging. Be ready for this. Know when the hills are too, it’ll help you be mentally ready, and will remind you to keep your legs under you for the running around Central Park near the end.

Aesthetics – is it a pretty course

  • It’s a city, so if you don’t find cities pretty, this one won’t be pretty. However, it’s a classic city marathon that takes you through unique parts of NYC, with different things highlighting each section of the race. It was extra pretty this year due to the nice fall weather.

Difficulty – is it a tough course

  • Yes and no. Rolling hills throughout, but people still run 2:07 on this course.

Organized and well run – did it feel like a well-oiled machine or were they flying by the seat of their pants?

  • It’s organized really well. We had to decide back in July what our transportation to the start was going to be and if we wanted a checked bag or not. Everything was coded on our bibs and machine-like. That said, it was still a little crazy seeing so many people being herded along from the SI ferries to the buses.

Competition – is there a strong field?

  • World class

Logistics – Does it require a special handshake, registration a year in advance, hotels all booked? Give us the low down on the nuts and bolts of making the race happen.

  • Hotels are expensive. Logistics can be challenging. Food in NY is expensive. This is not a cheap race in any way. The entry fee was even pricey relative to other races. There is a lottery for most to get into so it’s tough in that way too. There is also an auto-entry process based on previous fast times. However, everything is spelled out clearly regarding logistics and lodging and start times, etc. It just takes a bit more work on the front end to actually have a smooth, hassle-free experience on race weekend.

Aid Stations

  • Lots. Water and Gatorade. There were some gels at some spots too; I don’t remember what kind.

Weather and typical race conditions 

  • Excellent. However, it’s the east coast in November – it could also be awful!

Gear – did you need anything special or is there anything you’d recommend for the next guy?

  • Nothing special. Normal road racing gear. I didn’t need to carry anything extra, apart from a few extra gels. Aid stations were sufficient.

Spectators – is this a friendly course for your friends?

  • Wow! Spectators galore. That being said, I remember being a spectator here a decade ago and it was tough to find a spot to cheer over in Manhattan because there were so many fans lining the streets.

How are the awards/SWAG?

  • A finisher’s medal. Money for the elites. And a sweet warm rain poncho if you selected the poncho option (opposed to the check bag option). That was probably the coolest thing I’ve gotten at a race lately!

The Overall Score – how many stars do you give the NYC Marathon and do you recommend that others run it

  • 5 out of 5. If you can run it, do it. It may very well not be your fastest, but you’ll remember it. You’ll remember all the excitement, the huge crowds, and the overall unique life experience you’ll get by running the New York Marathon.

Thinking about running a race? Check out our coach’s tips for finding the best running race for you.

North Face 50 NY – Matt U

Race: North Face 50 New York – https://www.thenorthface.com/get-outdoors/endurance-challenge/new-york.html

Runner: Matt U

Date: 4/30/2016

Location: Bear Mt State Park, NY

Results – 14th, 8:14.32

3 Bests – what aspects of the race did you like the most

  • Weather was good, overcast and 50s.
  • Easy to get into, didn’t have a waitlist, logistical challenges, or other hopes to jump through.
  • Well run and organized.

Not so much – aspects of the race that didn’t do it for you

  • Holy cow there were a lot of rocks on that course!

Weird factor – what’s the weirdest thing about this race

  • There were a lot of foreigners in the race. For a 50 in NY that doesn’t sell out, to have 8 Canadians ahead of me compared to only 5 Americans. Not a problem, but not what I’m used to.

Highlights of your race – what did you do well and enjoy about your race in particular

  • I kept things under control for almost the entire race and felt like I managed my race well. The only exception was from miles 45-48 when some of the rocky hills lead to some really slow miles. I pulled it back together over the final couple miles, but lost sub-8 in the last 10 miles. I ate well, I paced well, kept the HR around my target zone (145-155) and overall, had an enjoyable experience. I also didn’t get passed by anyone from mile 20 on.

Lessons for others – share your pro-tips on the race to help the next runner

  • Where tough shoes. The rocks are no joke on this course. I caught and passed a guy with a foreign accent late in the race and as I passed he said, “This course is ridiculously technical!” I can’t say it any better. My advice is to be ready for this and don’t waste energy on slow technical sections, but instead, save it for the runnable portions. There were some road components, both paved and gravel, that were fast. Manage the course well and don’t let the course piss you off, and your experience and race will be better.

Aesthetics – is it a pretty course

  • Not pretty in the sense of views, but after a season of road racing, being on trails and in the woods was very enjoyable. The trails were wooded and rocky with a few road sections within the state park. Not the prettiest course, but still enjoyable.

IMG_20160430_082322496_HDRDifficulty – is it a tough course

  • Total vert according to my Garmin was 7,831’. This wasn’t the major difficulty component, but instead the often technical, rocky nature of the trail made for a difficult course. I’m coming from a Seattle, west coast perspective, where the trails are generally smoother. Having hiked the Appalachian Trail though, this course is way more like the AT than the PCT.

Organized and well run – did it feel like a well-oiled machine or were they flying by the seat of their pants?

  • Excellent. I’m pleased with the North Face experience. Well done and easy.

Competition – is there a strong field?

  • I’d say it was decent. I felt like I ran well and was handily beaten by 13 other guys, and by more than an hour by the winner. Timothy Olson was one of the only names on the list that I actually knew.

Logistics – Does it require a special handshake, registration a year in advance, hotels all booked? Give us the low down on the nuts and bolts of making the race happen.

  • The major challenge was the early start, coupled with the requirement that we take a shuttle to the start. The race started at 5am and we had to be on the shuttles between 3:30 and 4:15am. We stayed in Brooklyn with a friend doing the race and we had to leave at 2:30am to get there in time. Doing this with a 5 month old child made for a unique day, and probably a bit more challenging than what we would have had with a slightly later start.

Aid Stations

  • Standard. I don’t typically use aid stations much but they were frequent (within ~6 miles each time) and apparently well stocked. I ate a couple bananas while my bottle was filled with Tailwind at a few of the aid stations. Otherwise, I carried my own PowerGel for the extent of the trip.

Weather and typical race conditions –

  • It was great. Chilly at the start while standing around. No rain. Maybe got into the 60s, but overall the weather was a positive contributor to the racing experience.

Gear – did you need anything special or is there anything you’d recommend for the next guy?

  • I wore a Salomon pack but this wasn’t fully necessary. I wasn’t able to have crew at most aid stations so carrying everything I needed was my best option. However, you could get by with a handheld or bladder, and the aid station goodies.

Spectators – is this a friendly course for your friends

  • There were access points but Julie couldn’t drive our manual transmission rental, and she had Paavo to contend with – and we got him up at 2am for this race! Spectators are required to take the shuttle to the Start/Finish too which seemed like a hassle at first glance, but in the end, proved to be simple and convenient.

Awards – Top in age group got something. I was third in my age group so went home empty handed. All finishers got a medal.  IMG_20160430_131401464

The Overall Score – how many stars do you give this race and do you recommend that others run it

  • 4 out of 5. It was well run and I have no complaints. It also isn’t an epic, awesome event like a Western States or the Boston Marathon. Good early season race and I’m happy it fit into my schedule.