NYC Marathon 2024 Part I: Getting to the Start Line

NYC Marathon, Part I: Getting to the Start Line. After running the virtual marathon to get entry to this year's in-person marathon and a year of training with my running coach, we flew to New York City, started carb loading, celebrated my 40th birthday, and then...then the real journey began. 

While I went to sleep a bundle of nerves, I woke up a ball of excitement. Jasper spread peanut butter on bagels and made coffee while I got dressed, ate a banana, and triple checked the contents of my Start Village bag: a foam pad and garbage bag to sit on, two bottles of Skratch Hydration, a battery pack, toilet paper, sanitizing wipes, bracelets to trade, vaseline, sunscreen, sunglasses, inhaler, my running belt full of gels, my handheld water bottle for the run, my headphones, another banana, and three bagels with peanut butter.  

Ever the caring husband, Jasper left the hotel room with me at 5:25am to walk twelve blocks up to the New York Public Library, where the official buses to the Start Village were waiting. Actually, a humongous queue was waiting. We had to snake around Bryant Park to find an entrance to the line. Jasper kissed me goodbye and I joined the shuffling stream of runners.

 

Despite the masses of people, I'm impressed with NYRR's organization. They told us to arrive half an hour before our assigned bus time. I got in line at 5:45am, and was on a bus at 6:15am. Boom. The cozy coach ride was about an hour and a half, I think. I dozed. It was nice. I woke up for the crawling traffic across the Verrazano bridge from Brooklyn onto Staten Island: a sneak peak at the route! Glancing across the river at Manhattan underscored what a long, long day this would be. I had to run to there.

 

Runners had the option of taking (subway or taxi or walking to) the Staten Island Ferry (and then bussing from there to the village) later in the morning. I chose the direct bus and am very grateful I cut down on some logistics, even if it meant I killed time in the Village for 3.5 hours. 

Off the bus and on my way into the Start Village at Fort Wadsworth, I passed Gabby Thomas, Olympic gold medal sprinter!! She was there as Grand Marshall of the Marathon and being escorted somewhere for media somethings. I squeed quietly to myself.

The Village had to house a total of 56,000 runners plus volunteers and staff, but not quite all at once. There were five start Waves, from about 9am to 11:30am. Each Wave had three Start Colors (Pink, Orange, Blue) that had their own Corrals (A-F) to organize people by estimated finish times and reduce bottlenecks. After orienting myself (Pink Start, Corral D), I found Dunkin Donuts.

Dunkin is not my favorite. But it was there. They brought coffee, tea, hot chocolate, bagels, water, and Gatorade. And NYC Marathon 2024 hats. The hats are items of legend: every year Dunkin brings these hats with the official marathon logo and year, alternating pink on top/orange on the bottom and the opposite. I brought a safety pin to keep mine with me on the run...even though it's really quite ugly:

I waited in a very long bathroom line and then plunked myself down on the grass (on my garbage bag and foam pad) for the next couple of hours. I forgot to pack magazines, but kept myself entertained by sleeping, eating two bagels with peanut butter and my second banana, drinking all 24 oz of Skratch Hydration, people watching, texting Jasper (poor data connection, but SMS worked), listening to the "Wave X corrals are now open. There are clothing donation bins in the corrals, we do not pick up clothing on the bridge. Please use the restrooms in the corrals, there are no restrooms on the bridge. Do not urinate on the bridge, or you will be disqualified. Wave X corrals are now open" announcements in English, French, German, Spanish, and Italian. 

Finally, it was time to move around a bit and prepare. I used the bathroom again, took off my sweats and put them in the donation bin, dropped off my trash. I never handed out bracelets...I didn't see anyone else doing it, even though many said they would in the Facebook groups. I just left them by the clothing donation, maybe someone found them. :) 

I was so cold all morning that I was going to run with my long sleeve on:

But then in the corral, I got so hot. I took off the long sleeve, and that was the right choice for sure once I started running. (I tied it around my waist and kept it there until I saw Jasper and my parents at mile 16.7ish.)

Please notice my shirt. BIRTHDAY GIRL!!!! Someone in the corral said "Oh Birthday Girl, meet another birthday girl!!!" she turned 50 that weekend. He (her partner?) led the corral in singing Happy Birthday to us. It was incredible. I could not stop smiling!! ("She would later wish that she didn't have to smile," says the narrator.)

Finally, we of the Wave 5 Pink Start moved en masse out of Fort Wadsworth and walked up the on ramp to the bottom level of the Verrazano Bridge.

Someone sang the National Anthem, the Howitzer fired, and Frank Sinatra started crooning New York, New York. I teared up for not the first time that day and very far from the last time. Guys, we're doing this.

What were my three favs doing during this time? Climbing the Empire State Building: