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Four Friends, Five Boroughs, Five Bridges = Fabulous Fun!
by Kathy Sansone

‘Way last Spring, while just enjoying each others’ company on leisurely runs, several of us decided to put our names in the lottery for the New York City Marathon. Almost none of us had done a marathon in years, so you can guess what happened: the one who had been conscientiously training and already in great shape (Bob Boyle) unfortunately wasn’t picked by the lottery this year, while those of us wishful-thinkers (Steve Sansone, Judy Martin, and me) made it in. We had heard stories of the magic, festivities, and fun of this event, and decided to go for it. Joined by Bob Martin, we journeyed to New York in November to run, be tourists, and just have a great adventure together.

Corny as it may sound, the journey was almost as great as the destination. Determined to stay healthy and have a great time at this event, we trained throughout the summer and fall using Hal Higdon’s plan. Memories of meeting each other well before dawn at the Bush Park corner to begin our long runs made this worth doing. Judy and I found we could get in the first hour quite easily around the streets of downtown without any traffic with which to contend. Steve usually headed to the softer surfaces of Minto-Brown Park, and we tried to link up with Bob Boyle for long loops out south whenever possible. We compared notes, looked at maps and travel guides, searched out "disposable" clothing, and enjoyed good coffee after many of our runs.

We booked our flights and rooms early, hearing from many that both fill up quickly. The stories shared by many of you who had done this marathon kept the excitement high for us. We were cautioned not to go for speed, to dress for any kind of weather, and to be prepared for more people than we’d ever run with before. All tips were helpful and right on!

Continental Airlines has a non-stop flight to Newark, NJ that we’d recommend to anyone doing this…It’s easily as close to Manhattan as LaGuardia and JFK airports, and has a convenient shuttle service by SkyTrain & subway. Staying at one of the host hotels, the Park Central, we were just blocks from Central Park, and pleased to know we could walk back to our rooms after the marathon. Most of the Italian runners seemed to choose this same hotel, and although none of us spoke that language, the gestures were easy to "read."

Arriving on Halloween night, we were tempted to join the festivities at the Halloween Parade in Greenwich Village, but decided to stay off our feet, except to stroll near the hotel and gawk at Times Square. Bright and early Saturday morning we boarded the free bus that took us to the Expo…a huge event with Disney-type lines at Jacob Javits Center. Afterwards we linked up with our son Brady, who lives in Brooklyn, for lunch in the village and a boat tour around the southern part of the island. Brady led us to a good Italian restaurant (Nocello’s on 55^th) for a pasta dinner. We passed on the carbo-load dinner sponsored by the Marathon to spend time together in a less-hectic place, and were happy we did it.

Like other huge marathons, we were bussed from the pick-up point at the New York City Library to the race start on Staten Island, across the Verrazano Bridge. We were glad we chose to go early and find a spot to settle for the long wait to the start. The day was warm and dry which made the wait much easier. We loved meeting and talking with people from all over (1/3 of the participants are from other countries)! As each of us was assigned to a different corral in which to line up, that was the last we saw of each other until the finish. Bob, wisely, chose to visit museums that day, as it’s difficult at best to find runners on the course (35,000 runners; 2 million spectators!)

Running through the five boroughs was spectacular. The first half of the marathon goes from Staten Island through Brooklyn, where we were within blocks of our son’s apartment. I was tempted to stop by for a little morning coffee… Going from the wild-and-crazy bands playing along the way, to the whisper-quiet streets of Williamsburg in Brooklyn was a delight. The Pulaski Bridge carried us into Queens, where we rambled on, and crossed into Manhattan on the Queensboro Bridge. This was cool…as runners came down a long ramp you could hear the noise of the First Avenue crowds cheering long before you can see them. First Avenue was a long, straight, gentle up and down trip to the Willis Avenue Bridge taking us into the Bronx. We "dipped our toes" into this borough, and then headed back across the Manhattan Bridge into Harlem. Here gospel singers, doo-wap groups, and great rapsters cheered us on and almost took our minds off our aching quads. At about mile 22 we headed into Central Park for the final leg, amid cheering spectators, most of who were eager for a glimpse of P.Diddy!

We had decided to meet each other on the steps of the Natural History Museum, just west of the park, as we were all corralled into separate chutes…that worked well, except for Bob! It’s better to arrange to meet spectators outside the park. The walk back to our hotel was probably the best thing for our tired muscles at that point.

Although Steve had to leave the next day to return to work, Judy, Bob, and I continued to explore that wonderful city. We had a great walk through Brooklyn’s Prospect Park (gorgeous, but no "facilities" open for those of us so inclined…). The Gallagher’s had given us a tip on a great pub in the village (Chumley’s), we visited Ground Zero, Battery Park, China Town, Little Italy, the New York Public Library, and many architectural wonders along the way. Walking worked out our marathon stiffness, so that after a couple of days we were able to climb down steep subway steps without looking like little old ladies!

What a fabulous event! What great friends to share the adventure! We’d recommend this to anyone in our club interested in a marathon full of people from all over the world. All the helpful hints you have shared with us were greatly appreciated.