NYC Marathon
I had a topic in mind for this issue, and I meant to write about it, but my running kept eating up all of my free time. So, I decided that I may as well write about the thing that is keeping me out on the pavement for so many hours each week and cutting into my writing time: The 2005 ING New York City Marathon.
On November 6th, I will line up with over 35,000 other runners on Staten Island. We will all be going on a 26.2 mile tour of the five boroughs of New York City, crossing five bridges. Some will arrive at the finish line in under three hours, but most of us will probably come hobbling in well after the four or even five hour mark. This will be my second marathon and I have very high expectations for the experience. Not so much for my own running, but for being a part of such a large event. Here are some facts and figures about the race (from the official race program) that I find interesting:
The New York City marathon was run for the first time in 1970 with 127 starters and 55 finishers. The race was entirely in Central Park until 1976, when the five-borough tradition began. The fastest time for a male was in 2001 when Ethiopian Tesfaye Jifar ran in 2:07:43. Margaret Okayo of Kenya set the women's record of 2:22:31 in 2003.
On this special Sunday in November, everything will be on a large scale! In the starting area alone, runners will be fueled by 18,000 energy bars, 20,000 yogurt smoothies, 70,000 bottles of water and over 6,500 gallons of sports drink. With all of that, it's no wonder that over 600 portable toilets will be on hand. Along the course there will be more of the same, with 18,000 packets of nutritional gel given out at mile 18. Over 100 bands will be playing along the route and an estimated two million spectators will line the streets to cheer on the marathoners. Add to that the 260 million television spectators worldwide, and it is enough to make a runner very self-conscious!
I will be in good company on the course. I am part of the largest age group of NY marathoners--30-39 year olds make up 37 percent of the field. I am also ahead of the game with one marathon under my belt; 32 percent of this year's runners are running their first marathon.
Now that you are in the know about the marathon, send good vibes my way on November 6th! If you happen to be among the millions that watch, look for bib number 48765--that's me! Hopefully I will make it to the finish line in one piece!