Running the Blue Line
The largest marathon I’ve run was the 2005 New Las Vegas Marathon where about 9,000 folks were lined up at 6:00am and let loose to run up the Strip. It was a blast. My wife and oldest son got to hang out with me for a while and listen to the loud music and watch the runners stretching and drinking and looking for the porta-potties before the race. The spectacle made a particularly strong impression on my son who insisted for some weeks that he wanted to become a professional runner. It also made a lasting impression on me. The thrill of running with so many others also generated a great deal of enthusiasm and energy that helped buoy me through the miles. The size of the field of runners created an atmosphere that accentuated and enhanced the overall race experience. It was an EVENT,and because it was my first marathon, set the bar particularly high for other marathon experiences.
Since that morning I’ve run three other marathons. All much smaller. With the world’s largest marathon taking place this weekend i’ve been thinking about the differences between larger and smaller races and I continue to lack even the slightest desire to ever run the (sponsor logo) New York City Marathon.
Let me try to describe how I imagine the N.Y. Marathon morning might proceed.
The race begins @ 10:00am from Staten Island. Most people get to the start by shuttle bus or other public transportaion. 40,000 people have to wake up, get dressed, eat and get out the door from locations scattered everywhere throughout the New York area in time to congregate within walking distance of the start. Have you ever had to get from one place to another in New York? It can be frustrating even if you are the only one making the trip.
Imagine that 40,000 other obsessive-compulsive, carbohydrate-loaded people are trying to get to the exact same place you are at the exact same time. Guess you’d better leave early! I’ve read multiple race reports that describe leaving Manhattan by 4am. That’s 6 hours before the start time.
So you leave early. You leave your house or hotel around 4am. Let’s say you manage to get a seat on your vehicle of choice, be it train, subway, taxi or bus and you arrive with litttle to no hassles. It takes 1/2 hour to 45 minutes to get from Manhattan to Staten Island. Let’s round that up to 1 hour. That means you get to wait for around 5 hours. You get to hang out in the pre-dawn cold and do nothing but wait. For 5 hours.
It is this imagined image, above all others, that pops into my mind when I think of the New York Marathon. Thousands of stressed runners draped in garbage bags hopping around to stay warm, clamoring for space, searching for corrals or friends or family or biological relief. A mass of impatient quivering humans all attempting to cope with the unrelenting truth that 26.2 miles lurk in the distance and each and every one of these non-running runners will eventually have to battle the course and each other to reach Central Park.
I cannot imagine wanting to put myself through the struggle just to get to the start at New York, but that pre-dawn vigil is probably one of the reasons runners return. It is probably just one more cause for celebration after having endured it. One more obstacle, among hundreds of others, that must be hurdled to earn the title of New York City Marathon finisher.
Maybe someday I’ll get it. Maybe someday I’ll be in the throng gathered on Staten Island. Until then I look forward to many other smaller marathons where I can park near the start, not have to battle elbows for 26.2 miles and that, when all is said and done, puts me anywhere BUT New York City.
BTW, I will do whatever it takes to get out of bed Sunday morning to watch the race, but I’ll be doing it in the comfort of my home.
For those who may be reading this and planning to participate, I offer unconditional support and encouragement. Have a perfect day running the blue line because, truth be told, I’m a bit jealous.
October 31st, 2008 at 11:47 am
I ran NYC and Vegas about a month apart. They were both fun, but there is something about the energy at NYC that hasn’t been matched anywhere else I’ve been. Yes the early morning, sit around and wait is a hastle but once the race starts it is adrenaline pumping, enthusiastic fans for pretty much the whole 26.2, something that I have never seen duplicated anywhere else.
November 9th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
I just went back and looked at my post from last year. I woke up at 4:45 in the morning, and it took my 3 hours to commute to the starting area. (About as long as it would take me to run back to my home!)
But I think the point is that I had to look this up. You forget about all this because the experience on the course is amazing. I’ve only run here (NYC) so I don’t know how I’d like smaller races, and in fact I do like running alone. But no matter what, the atmosphere in NYC does make it incredible. You can actually feel it in the city during the week leading up to the marathon. I look forward to being a part of it again next year.