I arrived into New York JFK Airport in a hurricane. They stopped flights landing after mine. The journey from the airport to the hotel was interesting. We were driving through a river. What had I let myself in for? I decided that if it was raining like this on Sunday I was not doing it! Today was Thursday. There were two days to go …..
I checked into my hotel and had an early night.
I woke early next day, and although I was already scheduled to join others for a shake out run to Central Park, I was too early for that, so I decided to venture out on my own for a recce. Would the water be gone? YES – it was bone dry. No evidence of yesterday’s deluge at all!
I joined others from my group (2:09 Events) at 7.00am, and we were taken by Mike Gratton himself on an inclusive shake out run to Central Park, where we were shown the last 300 meters to the finish line (uphill). We then ran through the park to run the last two miles.
Later, I went to the Expo to collect my number, and other scrumptious merchandise – it has to be done!
Early on Saturday morning I met up with a heap of strangers at Penn Station, and we caught two trains to Delaware and Raritan Canal parkrun. In the afternoon, I met up with some other strangers in Central Park. They were people who I had befriended on FB, via a veteran of the New York Marathon, Runar Gunnerson. Some of us took part in a “gift exchange”. I was paired up with a young man from Richmond, Virginia, who was running his first marathon. We are still in contact!
Another early night was called for, and before I knew it the clock said it was 4.00am, and I was wide awake. I had to be at the bus collection point at 6.00-6.15am. I actually could have travelled later – on a ferry, but I prefer to get there with time to spare. Some people on my bus were in the first wave, so it was critical that they got there quickly. So when the bus driver took a wrong turning, they were not very happy. We eventually got to Staten Island, but the bus was not allowed to park near Fort Wadsworth, our way was being blocked by refuge trucks. We ended up on the wrong side of the bridge. People were asking to be let off, and they ran the rest of the way. I think some of them may have had to drop back a wave.
Spirits were high in the athlete village. The sun was shining. It was going to be perfect running conditions. I was in Orange Corral (not my usual pink). That meant I was starting on the top of the bridge, not the underneath level. I was pleased, although I had been told that the elevation was more on top of the bridge than underneath. What the heck! I could only give it my best.
We cheered each wave that went off. We were just at the base of the bridge, so could see the runners starting their journey. The bridge is two miles long. One mile up, and one mile down. The views were amazing. The atmosphere was electric. There were no spectators on the bridge. But wow – once we got off the bridge the support was phenomenal – for the whole run (and I was out there for a very long time). At one point, the spectators had come into the road itself, and were making an arch for us to run through. Then there were two long lines, waiting to high-five us as we passed.
I did encounter the “sweeper bus” – two or three times actually – but they were happy to let us continue on if that was what we wanted to do (and I did!) Queensborough Bridge was eerie. There were only a few of us going over it when I crossed it. It was quiet. Everyone deep in their thoughts. Will I finish? But we heard the roar of the crowds as soon as we stepped off the bridge.
The sun went down (as I knew it would), but we continued on. I managed to overtake a few people in those last miles. I seemed to be running the last two miles on my own, but I wasn’t. There were still people in the park cheering the runners on. At last, I was climbing that last 300 metres that I had practised on Friday morning. I did it. I was elated – I had crossed the finish line of the New York City Marathon!
– Helen Rowe
