As thousands of nervous runners mill around at Fort Wadsworth, Staten Island, for the start of the New York City Marathon this morning, my thoughts go back to the day, twenty-four years ago, when I too awaited the start.  I still recall the day my lottery result came in the mail.   It was the last marathon I ran and perhaps the most memorable.

Up early to catch a bus, wall-to-wall runners at the start, and a walking, start, stop, jostle beginning up on to the Verrazano-Narrows bridge.  It was awesome, wondering if the bridge could take the load (you could feel it shake), the great atmosphere, and of course, some fast runners weaving in and out of the group plodding along.  Back before timing chips, and it took over ten minutes to get to the start line.

Of course, the race traverses the five boroughs and what a kaleidoscope of colors, sounds, smells, and people as we ran through Brooklyn.  We were feeling strong after all that training and the first fifteen miles or so were wonderful.  I can still remember feeling draggy as we crossed the Queensboro bridge (mile 15) but the crowds as we came down off the bridge were incredible.

The last ten miles are tough.  The trip up First Avenue to the Bronx seems to last forever and then the leg muscles (for most mortals) start complaining big time.  I was hurting as  came down through Central Park -- every hill was an insult -- but a combination of running, walking, hobbling got me in sight of the famous finish line seen so often on TV.  My time was ok for me, under 4 hours.

Finding Mary afterward in the crowd was a trick (B.C. - before cellphones) but we hooked up as I shivered in the Mylar blanket we all got.

I later trained for several other marathons but always seemed to get injured as I got into the 18-20 mile run segment of training.  I settled back into 10K's and a few ten-milers.  So it’s nice to have this marathon as a fond memory.

Running any marathon is a nice accomplishment and the ambiance and energy of a big on like New York or London is something you don’t forget.  The lottery for 2010 opens tomorrow for New York.  Why not give it a try?

 Verrazano-Narrows bridge photo by Thomas R. Stegelmann  Brooklyn race photo by fergie_lancealot  

If you enjoyed this article, then please subscribe to our RSS feed or via email to receive all the updates

"It's been 27 years since an American man or woman has won the New York City marathon, and the streak is unlikely to be broken this Sunday. (Read the NYT article by Cameron Stracher.) Indeed, since Alberto Salazar’s victories in 1981 and 1982, only one American-born man, Ryan Hall, has managed to run faster than Salazar’s 1981 finish of 2:08:13. While Salazar’s time was a world record when he ran it, Hall’s time (set in 2008 on a faster course at London, where he finished fifth) places him 36th on the list of top marathoners.

Some have blamed performance-enhancing drugs for the loss of American dominance on the roads; others have criticized United States training methods; still others see a shifting of interest to other sports, like lacrosse and soccer. But the real reason for the decline is a failure of narrative.From the mid-’70s to the early ’80s the United States was blessed with three great runners: Frank Shorter, Bill Rodgers and Alberto Salazar. Each held the No. 1 ranking at the marathon distance during that period. Their duels were legendary not only for their frequency and intensity, but also for the ink spilled about them..."  (read whole article)

 photo by totalAldo  

If you enjoyed this article, then please subscribe to our RSS feed or via email to receive all the updates