New York Marathon
2 November 2003
NEW YORK FRIENDSHIP RACE Saturday 1st November 2003
Peter & I left the hotel at 7.00am and it was warm already. The start was in walking distance so we went dressed in our running gear. We were greeted by the colourful flags of the United Nations Building & at 8.00am we were let into the UN grounds. Here we discovered Friendship Race means National Costume. The best ones were the Japanese ladies with kimono's and painted faces and the Peruvian with poncho's & colourful knitted wimple hats. The M.C. thanked everyone and announced which champions were holding their countries flags, such as Greta Weitz, Rod Dixon. German Silva, Alberto Salazar and Abel Anton. I was glad this weekend it was in the 70's as the M.C. went on a bit. Katherine Swilzer picked up achievement award, 1974 winner and first women to run Boston before women were allowed. The steel band played as we left the grounds to line up for the start, not many spectators, saving themselves for the big race tomorrow I imagined. There were some fun things on route, if pedestrians chose to cross the road, the runners chanted "hey! hey! hey" until they reached the other side. Throughout, the Mexican wave was happening the length of the mass of runners. We ran past the Trump Building, Music Hall and ended up in Central Park. It was longer than we were told, about 5 miles. It was nice in the park with the autumn colours and no competitiveness. We were handed our breakfast at the end, a bag of goodies handed down from lorries by volunteers. We ate our food in the stands that had been set up for the marathon the next day. (Kay Tarrant)
NEW YORK MARATHON Sunday 2nd November 2003
I awoke early on race day as the buses to take us out to Staten Island were leaving between 5.30am & 7.00pm after which time the Verazzano Bridge would be closed until we ran across it. By the time I reached Fort Wadsworth there were already thousands of people on site. It was a beautiful morning, the unseasonable weather which the local news was saying was giving New Year it's warmest period at this time of year since the 1950's was continuing. As with the whole race weekend I found the organisation very good, there were free bagels, yoghurts, isotonic & hot drinks for everyone and a stage had been set up where bands were entertaining us throughout the morning. Along with countless others I just sat back in the early morning sun and waited for 10.10am.
There were three starts and with about hour an hour to go we were called to our particular start, our place in the queue being determined by the number we had been given and then marched out onto the bridge. I was on the green start which meant that I was going to be running on the lower portion of the bridge. The start area was closed to the public and at 10.10am the race started to the sounds of Frank Sinatra singing New York, New York with a back group of thousands!
I had decided to run with a camera to take pics along the route and I was surprised as we gathered on the start line how many people were carrying flings to capture their route through the five boroughs. As we ran across the bridge there were fire boats underneath jetting high water into the sky and sounding their horns which got a great cheer from the runners.
We then ran on through Brooklyn into Queens, all the way the encouragement from the roadside was loud with even some of the road side Police shouting encouragement. Just after the 16 mile point you go across the Queensboro Bridge to enter Manhattan. As you come off the bridge and turn into first avenue you are hit with a wall of sound that is quite stunning, I had arranged to meet Kay there and it was quite difficult to pick her out in the cheering mass. I finally saw her & jogged over to get a jelly baby & a photo call, I had been looking forward to a little rest!
We then ran along First Avenue for four miles before crossing the Willis Avenue Bridge into the Bronx, where another enthusiastic crowd were waiting, primarily because a local rap singer P Diddy was running. Several large Brothers bawling "Go man Go", was all the encouragement I needed to run back to First Avenue in Manhattan at 21.5 miles as quickly as my tiring legs would allow. Despite my increasing tiredness the last few miles through Upper Manhattan & Central Park were some of my most memorable moments of any of the marathons I have run. The crowds were just so encouraging with the noise just seeming to bounce off the skyscrapers to lift you, whilst the changing autumn colours in a sunlit Central Park also lifted your spirits in the closing stages.
I finished in 3.45, but to me the time was immaterial, I have always wanted to run NY just to enjoy it and I certainly did. The good feeling stays with you over the next few days as both New Yorkers and other runners who see you walking in a way that shows you how you spent Sunday congratulate or want to ask you about your experience. If you get the chance, run NY, you will not regret it. (Peter Furness)