Biding My Time
The New York City Marathon is over 5 months away, and my training won't start for another month or so. That means that I have just a few more weeks until running takes over my life. The good news is that starting in July I will sleep like a baby and can eat snacks anytime I feel like it!
Since there is nothing to report training-wise, here are a few fun, random facts about the NYC Marathon. A few quick hits, if you will:
- The race is November 4, so (knock on wood) the weather should be nice and cool.
- Around 40,000 runners will participate with 2 million spectators looking on.
- The race starts on Staten Island, goes up through Brooklyn and Queens then crosses into Manhattan on the way to the Bronx. It's just a short jaunt into the Bronx before a quick turnaround back into Manhattan and the finish line in Central Park.
- The first NYC Marathon in 1970 consisted of numerous loops around Central Park, and only 55 runners finished the race.
- Approximately 50 runners are disqualified each year for taking shortcuts.
- Anthony Edwards (Goose from "Top Gun" and Gilbert from "Revenge of the Nerds") ran an impressive 3 hours 55 minutes.
- Lance Armstrong said in 2008 that running NYC was the toughest thing he had ever done.
- The first guy to run 26.2 miles died, but fewer than 1 in 100,000 marathon runners actually die from the race. I like those odds!
-R
