I'll be there this year. Ran it back in 2010 and loved it. Biggest headache was the early start to the day with a big gap between leaving the hotel and actually starting the race. I'd definitely plan nutrition around the fact you'll have a lot of idle time on your hands from door to race start (take some hydration/snacks with you). Also, layer up with some old clothes you can ditch because it'll get cold sitting out on Staten Island waiting around to run. Otherwise, just soak it all in and enjoy the diversity of NYC crowds. I'm shooting for 3:25'ish this year and hoping I'm not on the bottom deck of Verrazano if you are above me!

I'm in. I was supposed to run it last year for the first time and got hit by a car 3 weeks before the race (the day after my last long run!). I'm hoping for around 2:50ish this year, but that will depend on how I do at Chicago Marathon a few weeks earlier. I will really just be happy to be there this year after having to watch it from the sidelines last year. Hopefully I won't have to stop to pee off any bridge, gonna keep widemouth gatorade bottle at the start. Although I haven't ran it before, I have ran on much of the course and I think that it definitely gets harder once you exit Brooklyn. The 59th street bridge going into Manhattan has a long and gradual climb that will wear on you and descends going into Manhattan at a much steeper grade so make sure your legs are ready for that. Going up towards the Bronx also has some nice big rolling hills that I wouldn't take for granted. Once you are coming towards Central Park I would expect to feel pretty miserable regardless of the terrain so can't think of anything for this section but to hang on. The most common feedback that I have gotten from others on the course is that it is like a giant parade with so many people cheering for you that it definitely gives you plenty of extra adrenaline that will go a long way to make the race easier and faster.

Can't wait!!

Got in via the lottery after entering on a whim. I have no real time goal since this is my first Marathon. My training is going well but I'm very inconsistent right now. After running down 72nd Street at the NYC Tri I can't wait to experience that feeling throughout NYC. I love this city and one of my favorite things here is when streets are closed down and you can walk in the middle of them. The perspective of the places you think you know is completely different. To get 26.2 miles of new perspective on my 2nd home is something I am really excited for.

I am in for my first NYC, this is my re-do from the hurricane year. I'm not sure a PR (2:48) is in the cards, but I can possibly improve on my time at Boston from earlier this year (2:55). Training is going fine, but I'm ~8lbs over my ideal running weight, really need to clamp down on the diet. So far, haven't had the willpower to do so.

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dbikelink will be running sub 2:50 :-)

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You found me! Are you running NYC? That is if you survive the heat at Kona!

I'm in. Ran in 2011, but didn't have a good day. Hoping to run something close to 2:50 this time.

One thing to note is that they CLOSE THE CORRALS about 20-30 minutes prior to the race start. I had somehow overlooked this and spent too much time hanging out in the Start Village. When we went to go stand in line for the porta-potty one last time, they were making the announcements about corrals closing. What?!

I dropped off my friend at her corral just as they started to release everyone into the staging area and trotted up ahead to my corral. They wouldn't let me in. I moped around a bit, thinking about how this would screw up all plans to meet up after the race. I couldn't believe I had missed such a crucial piece of information. hit the facilities and then figured I should see where I needed to be for the next wave start. I went up to the first corral and when the volunteer saw my bib number he immediately shooed me through. I was one of the last runners released into the staging area for Wave 1, but still had plenty of time to make my way up towards the front - and do my part to water a few buses.

So yeah...a wide mouth bottle (and a black plastic garbage bag) will come in handy while you're waiting for the start. Someone said that there are porta-potties in the corrals, but I never spent any time in there.

I'm in assuming my rebounds well from IMMT. This will be my third. Would like to shoot for low 2:40s. Here's my tip: don't forget the hill at mile 22 (starts when you're running along Central Park on Fifth Avenue). It's not that steep but f'ing goes on forever. Forget about using GPS on the Queensboro Bridge...