Happy to help! I’m a huge fan of the marathon!

I was registered in 2020, and unfortunately got a nasty bout of Covid and long Covid, but just recently got clearance to start running again. I parlayed my 2020 registration to 2023, and honestly, I’m cool with walking the whole thing if I need to; there are always groups that do just that! If you ever decide to “officially” walk it on race day, know the following:

1. Crossing the Verrazano on foot is amazing; honestly one of my favorite bits of the race

2. If you are walking the entire race, and you are not a fast walker, there’s a decent chance that streets will start to open again before you have finished. Fans/supporters will STILL be out cheering for you. Source: I did the race once on a knee injury and experienced this very thing. The people of this city are amazing.

3. The people of Harlem are the most supportive and have the best music. It’s my favorite neighborhood to run through, because you are exhausted at that point, and they are the folks out there shouting encouragement and handing out salty snacks and cool rags to folks who need it. Honestly, if it wasn’t for a wizened old woman in Harlem and her encouragement, I honestly don’t think I would have crossed the finish line the knee injury year. I look for her every year. She’s my marathon angel!

4. Absolutely do not stress about how late you finish. There WILL be people there at the finish waiting for you! The person who is the last to finish every year actually gets a feature on the news and in the paper, because it is recognized that it’s a bigger feat for someone who might have difficulty to cross the finish line. I remember one of the years I did it, the last to finish crossed the line close to midnight, and he was an old war vet (I want to say WWII, but it might have been Korea?) I remember passing him in Queens. He was literally shuffling along, and had a person on either side (from Achilles iirc) helping him walk, and I don’t know if I’ve ever been so inspired.

5. Speaking of inspiration, there is a plethora of it to be found! I am inspired by the wheelchair racers and the pro runners (both groups are SO FREAKING FAST). I am inspired by the people being helped by Achilles organization. I even saw a guy doing it ON CRUTCHES one year, which is just insane. Lol.

6. You will feel like a rock star when you first come off the 59th St bridge and head up 1st Ave. Spectators are not allowed on the bridges, so you will hear the sound of them before you see them. The cheering of lots of people drinking is quite loud but also gets you going.

7. Biggest tip: write your name on whatever shirt you wear. You wouldn’t believe the difference it makes hearing someone yell out general encouragement vs. hearing someone specifically cheering you on by name. It sounds silly, but it genuinely works. I didn’t write my name the first time, but I have every year since, it’s 100% worth it.

8. Second biggest tip: go for the post race pancho instead of checking a bag if at all possible. If you absolutely need your own supplies immediately after the race, still do the pancho option and then have a friend/family member meet you with your stuff where you exit Central Park. Trust me on this. They already make you go a ways past the finish line to leave the park, but if you check a bag you have to go further to exit, and it just takes so much longer and is more of a pain if you are meeting people afterwards. I have friends meet me where I exit the park with a change of clothes and supplies and then we go for Mexican food (because I need salt after, at least that’s my excuse. It’s tradition now!)

9. Take the subway home, because getting a cab/Uber/Lyft will be impossible from the finish area for a solid 5 hour block of time.