NYC Marathon - I got picked!

Congratulations! I ran in 1982 and 1983. Pay for the bus to
the start...you won't be sorry. Wear something you can throw
away for charity like an old sweatshirt or sweats. And be
prepared to [censored] over the side of the bridge ... you should
need while waiting for the start.

"JDS" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Wow - after trying 2 or 3 times years ago I did get picked
this year. I'm looking for logistics hints, tips,
suggestions from past participants please. Where to stay?
Marathon events? Transportation? Starting line clothing
needs, etc.? Anything else?

TIA.

JDS

Congrats Where to stay? In midtown, though very pricey, if
possible so you can walk to the bus and from the finish line
because it is tough to get a taxi at
6:00 am or when you are sweaty after the race. Marathon
events? Try to get to NYC on Friday and make the expo. It
is a zoo on Saturday. Skip the pasta dinner. Too many
people, to much time standing around. Transportation? Take
the bus. Avoid subway unless you know where you are going.
Starting line? Dress for the weather. It is always colder
and windier on Staten Island than in mid-town. Take water
to the bus because it may be a long wait. The NYPD is
remarkably tolerate of roadside pissing at the Fort and
for the first mile or two of the run. The top of the
bridge (red and blue atart) is the best view and free from
the "yellow rain". No one objects if you line up in the
back of another corral just stay in that roadway until the
three lanes merge. Anything else? The crowds are great. If
you put your name on your shirt you will be greeted the
entire way by people calling your name. Be prepared to
wave and respond. Enjoy the race but be prepared to walk a
long way after the finish to get to the bag trucks and the
park exit.

Bob

[email hidden] (JDS) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Wow - after trying 2 or 3 times years ago I did get picked
this year.

Dude, you were picked as a waterboy, I wouldn't brag.

"Greener" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

And be prepared to [censored] over the side of the bridge ...
you should need while waiting for the start.

HEY! Just where the F*** do you think this race is being
held there lil' piggie? This is NOT France, if you wag your
weiner in public, they'll nail you with whippin' it out, AND
littering. You'll also have

category for "pee pots".

Quoted message said:

Wow - after trying 2 or 3 times years ago I did get picked
this year. I'm looking for logistics hints, tips,
suggestions from past participants please. Where to stay?
Marathon events? Transportation? Starting line clothing
needs, etc.? Anything else?

I'm in, too. Congrats!

My SO did this race last year. We stayed with family in
Greenwich Village so I don't have any hotel recommendations,
but here's a thought: Even on marathon day there's plenty of
public transportation so if you're willing to sit on a bus
or subway after the race you can stay almost anywhere in
Manhattan. Last year, my SO wasn't sure she could handle the
stairs to the subway after 26 hard miles, so we walked a
block from the park to Columbus Avenue and caught a downtown
bus part of the way home, then hailed a cab for the rest. (I
suspect trying to get a cab within a mile of the finish line
will be futile.)

In any case I've heard that they close the subway stops near
the west side of the park. My SO took 8 hours to finish (she
walked the whole way) and by that time the entrance was open
again, but as I said we didn't try it.

As for transportation to the start, taking the race bus is
easy and relatively stress-free; they have the loading-up
down to a science, and you know you'll get to the start OK.
The subway can take you to the library where the buses are.

If you do rely on the subway, I recommend getting to town
early enough to familiarize yourself with it a bit, or
having a local contact who can tell you what's what. We did
both. BTW subway schedules are available online.

For the starting line, you'll probably want to wear extra,
throwaway sweats or at least a jacket, depending on the
weather. Some of it will go in your gear bag that you'll
pick up at the finish, and some you'll just toss on the
ground. They collect the discarded clothing and pass it
along to homeless organizations so it won't go to waste.

The pasta feed the night before is fun, and the food is
reasonable considering it's basically buffet-style. It's
really nifty to be around all those other runners, from all
over the world -- we had some guys from Central America at
our table. Be aware, though, that you're likely to stand in
line for a *long* time; you may want to bring along a
folding chair. And it costs $17 for non-runners, which IMHO
is steep if you have a spousal unit or other companion
along. This year I'm probably just going to go to a nice
Italian restaurant and get a big plate of pasta.

The expo has approximately 10 gajillion booths with all
sorts of stuff. I'd say allow at least two hours to
look around.

Good luck! See you there!

--
Brian P. Baresch Fort Worth, Texas, USA Professional editing
and proofreading

If you're going through hell, keep going. --Winston
Churchill

a hint for those of you, like myself, who did not get in
this year...

last year i was also rejected, and therefore did not really
train for anything. 6 weeks before the race, i received an
e-mail stating they had opened up the event, and asked if i
would like to run. i said yes, trained for 6 weeks, pulled
my groin, ran anyway. it's been a long slow recovery.

don't give up hope. i'm almost expecting them to write to me
with weeks to go asking the same question. i'm currently
training as if i'll be there. worst case, i'll run richmond
2 weeks later.

it was very warm last year, my worst time ever, but the best
marathon ever.

congrats on your entry. maybe i'll see you there.

m

when man tries to imagine paradise on earth, the immediate
result is a very respectable hell. claudel - 1929

Greener said:

Congratulations! I ran in 1982 and 1983. Pay for the bus
to the start...you won't be sorry. Wear something you can
throw away for charity like an old sweatshirt or sweats.
And be prepared to [censored] over the side of the bridge ...
you should need while waiting for the start.

"JDS" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Wow - after trying 2 or 3 times years ago I did get
picked this year. I'm looking for logistics hints, tips,
suggestions from past participants please. Where to
stay? Marathon events? Transportation? Starting line
clothing needs, etc.? Anything else?

TIA.

JDS

Congrats! My suggestion to you, is the same thing I would
tell anyone visiting NYC..............Familiarize yourself
with the constant aroma of urine and vomit.

Hey Bush,

Watch your language you dink!! And tell it to the other
40,000 people pissin' off the bridge....weiners and
marshmellows EVERYWHERE.

"." <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Greener" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

And be prepared to [censored] over the side of the bridge ...
you should need while waiting for the start.

HEY! Just where the F*** do you think this race is being
held there lil' piggie? This is NOT France, if you wag
your weiner in public, they'll nail you with whippin' it
out, AND littering. You'll also have

Quoted message said:

category for "pee pots".

Bush,

Bet you couldn't even run to the bathroom lamearse!

"." <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

[email hidden] (JDS) wrote in message

news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Wow - after trying 2 or 3 times years ago I did get
picked this year.

Dude, you were picked as a waterboy, I wouldn't brag.

"Greener" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Congratulations! I ran in 1982 and 1983. Pay for the bus
to the start...you won't be sorry. Wear something you can
throw away for

charity

Quoted message said:

like an old sweatshirt or sweats. And be prepared to [censored]
over the

side of

Quoted message said:

the bridge ... you should need while waiting for the
start.

From what I understand there is a very large urinal for the
boys on the bridge so I would suggest one does not [censored]
over the side.

-Doug