Why the New York City Marathon is the very best

Truthfully, we’re a bunch of New York snobs and we think everything here is the best, including the marathon. We humbly (but not that humbly) present reasons to run the NYC Marathon specifically.

1. 50th anniversary.

This year is the 50th anniversary of the NYC Marathon, a banner year that will probably get a banner technical shirt and banner medal.

2. Biggest marathon in the world.

More than 50,000 people run the NYC Marathon, officially the biggest marathon in the world. That also means it is the most difficult race to get into,* but running for Restore guarantees entry. [*Restore NYC cannot afford a fact-check department for this blog, so if you are from Boston or otherwise have more time and Google proficiency than I do to tell me Boston is actually the most difficult race to get into — something I suspect but hope is not true — please do not email me.]

3. Daylight savings time.

The NYC Marathon is the same day we fall back, i.e., you get an extra hour of sleep! If you’re like me, you will unfortunately waste that extra hour wide awake in bed from 1am to 2am and again from 2am to 4am, jittery with nerves.

4. The blue poncho.

 

 

At the finish line, everyone who didn’t do bag check gets a blue poncho that can only be described as glorious. It is fleece lined, waterproof, and huge. If you’re lucky, you’ll get a volunteer who gently puts it on you and fastens the velcro flap across your clavicle, knowing you will not be able to do so yourself without another energy gel, which you’ve already downed enough of during the marathon to get adult-onset diabetes. I was not so lucky; my volunteer was fending off and yelling at runners who were trying to snatch a poncho even though they did not have the requisite pink wristband. But still. If my apartment were going down in flames, the blue poncho is the one thing I’d grab. I’m sure I can get a copy of my birth certificate.

5. It’s New York.

One million fans cheering you like the Super Bowl champ you’ll never be, running across the iconic bridges with no cars, experiencing in one day on foot all five boroughs of New York, the greatest city in the world. There’s nothing like it.  

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Let us know if you’re interested in running the New York City Marathon for Restore NYC. We have 25 spots this year, and they always go quickly. Don’t miss out!