The ING NY City Marathon was held yesterday.  I did heartbreak hill with some friends and realized as we started to climb around the water tower that 1 year ago at almost that same time I was getting ready to run my race.

I’m very fond of that race, I’ve done it twice since 2006 and have done a PR at each one.  4:51 in 2006 and 4:29 in 2008.  Not bad for a middle aged mom running 3 or 4 days a week.

When people ask me what is the best part of the marathon I usually mention the support of the city.  Prior to race day there are banners and signs welcoming runners.  You can even ride the Subway for free on race day by just showing your medal.  This poses a particularly tricky problem because the Subway is underground requiring you to walk down to catch the train and up to get out of the station.  Both options will be painful to your battered post-marathon legs.

During the race itself you would not believe the number of people that line the streets to cheer for the runners.  Every runner talks about the curve off the bridge down to 1st Avenue and the swell of cheering you hear.  Earlier in the race you get to run through Brooklyn which is not as spectacular a site as Manhattan but the people are equally supportive and caring.  Kids hand out bananas and paper towels to mop up the sweat pouring off your face.  In Queens the crowds were small but mighty and once you come in and go back out of Manhattan you enter the Bronx.  If you can’t quite remember where you are at that point a strong booming voice greets you with a “Welcome to the Bronx” in a voice that only a true Bronx native has.

The final few miles takes you up past the brownstones towards Central Park.   Lots of people are there to cheer you on the final miles and when you enter Central Park you are so ready to be done with it that you tend to block out anything except that fact that you are so close to finishing!

Crossing the finish line is like any other finish.  Elation and fatigue hit at once.  But then you remember that this is New York, you just ran the New York City Marathon and the people of New York made you feel like a Rock Star!

Now go run!

Keli 🙂