The Guide

What You Need to Know: The ING New York City Marathon

I didn’t mind that I got stuck in traffic the night before. I didn’t mind that I had to board a bus at 5 a.m. and eat peanut butter that I smeared on a bagel with my finger. I didn’t mind that I was packed into public transit between other anxious marathoners, slathered with Bengay, Bodyglide, and pride. I didn’t mind because this was New York City. Home to the Yankees, the Statue of Liberty, Times Square, Central Park, and Broadway. This was it! And, I thought, if I could make it here ... well, you know the rest.

And I was right. After completing the ING New York City Marathon in November 2006, I felt renewed. Like I could take on the world. And that’s probably because the world seems to support you when you “run New York.” I’d run three previous marathons; none of them had brought me to tears like this one did (and I consider myself a crier).

“The marathon is New York City’s postcard to the world,” says Richard Finn, of the New York Road Runners. “You can feel the warmth here.”

And I did. There’s just something about New York. Maybe it’s the bands and the crowds that welcome you as you enter each borough. They tell you you look good when you know you’ve never looked worse. There were gloved hands lined up for miles, hands that belonged to crowds that had cheered before and knew that getting slapped by 33,000 runners would sting. But instead of holding back, they gloved up. This was New York City in 2006, and I can’t wait to see what it’s like this year.

Continental is the official airline of the ING New York City Marathon.

―Kathleen S. Carr

"I always loved running — it was something you could do by yourself and under your own power. You could go in any direction, fast or slow as you wanted, fighting the wind if you felt like it, seeking out new sights just on the strength of your feet and the courage of your lungs." — Jesse Owens

Fun Facts

The marathon is a big, big undertaking:

> 38,300 runners
expected to start on November 4, 2007

> 6,720 gallons
of Gatorade Endurance Formula, plus another 42,000 bottles at the finish

> 112,000 bottle
of water, plus another 1.5 million cups poured along the course

> 2,000 medical volunteers
on hand

> 20,000 PowerBars
at the start of the race

> 365 days
spent in preparation for the event (100 New York Road Runners staff members work year-round on the marathon)

> 2 million
spectators expected

> $200,000,000
estimated amount spent in NYC on marathon day

> 30,000
Dunkin’ Donuts bagels served

The Distance

26.2 miles
(and it’s the final .2 that hurt the most)

5 Bridges are Traversed

» Verrazano-Narrows Bridge
» Pulaski Bridge
» Queensboro Bridge
» Willis Avenue Bridge
» Madison Avenue Bridge

Number of Countries Represented

> 107
including Belgium, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Panama, Spain, and the United States.

Celebrity Runners

previous years:
Lance Armstrong (right), Sean “Diddy” Combs, supermodel Kim Alexis, actor Tom Cavanagh, chef Bobby Flay, singer Vanessa Carlton, Today Show correspondent Natalie Morales, tennis player Yannick Noah, Olympic gymnasts Shannon Miller and Kerri Strug, and three Continental editors!

anticipated in 2007:
Armstrong (again); Tim McGraw’s band members, and former heavweight champion Floyd Patterson’s daughter, Jennifer.