New York Marathon Course

by Robert
(New York)

I've run NY five times and loved it every time. After reading the above article, I concur, the course is tough. A specific mention is necessary for the one mile stretch over the Queensboro Bridge...this is by far the toughest mile on the course. Straight uphill and then straight down. In addition, the bridge surface is concrete--not asphalt and it does not give.

If you are a pavement pounder, your quads will be mush on the up and especially on the down. The upside is, once you turn the corner onto First Avenue the noise is unbelievable making you forget everything and only think about heading for home.

Finally, if you are in NYC the Sunday before the race, it's fun to run the last 10 miles (starting at First Ave and 59th. Most head out around 8am to avoid as much traffic as posssible while still sleeping in a little. At this point the route is ususally marked with lamppost banners and there are even some diehard supporters of this effort in the Bronx offering water and week early cheers.

Back from New York Marathon Course to Marathon Training Schedule

I'm often asked what shoes I personally recommend to help stay injury free while running (on the 100 day plan) so I'll add a little bit about it at the end of these Q and A's.

Good shoes are crucial if you want to stay injury free during your marathon journey. In general, the best is to find a shoe that fits your feet according to your foot type.

However, these three shoes will do an excellent job with their mild correction - and will work for most runners :

The most sold running shoes ever - and by every model seems to get better and better. About the same weight as the Kayano but the fit is a little bit different.

The 2150 is a great alternative for the faster work you'll be doing in the 100 day plan. It is one of the few shoes that "feels" like a lightweight one but at the same time has more than enough stabilty to prevent injuries with the marathon type length of some of the interval sessions.

A tips for international (non-US) runners : check out roadrunnerssports.com : Example : Asics Kayano (RoadRunnerssports) they ship worldwide and it can really save you some money on your shoes.