Race Information
- Name: New York City Marathon
- Date: November 5, 2023
- Distance: 26.2 miles
- Location: New York City, NY
- Strava Link
- Time: 2:50:33 (6:30/mile | 4:02/km)
Goals
| Goal | Description | Completed? |
|---|---|---|
| A | Sub 3 / BQ | Yes |
| B | Negative Split | No (barely) |
| C | Finish / Don’t Die | Yes |
Summarized “TL;DR” Recap
Another long overdue recap (thanks for your patience!). NYC was electric. The crowds were amazing, the bridges were quiet, and the hills were tough. Despite all of this, another sub-3-hour marathon is in the books!
Training
NYC was 3 weeks after Chicago. Mileage for those weeks was 20.5, 35.5, and 35.5 respectively. Only 1 workout (11 x 1 min on/1 min off) and kept it easy. I did start a 2x per-week strength program (this took some adjusting). Nothing crazy and I wanted to be 100% for race day.
Pre-race
An early wake-up call to make the 5:30 am Staten Island Ferry. The ferry had a bathroom but I didn’t need it and there was a view of the Statue of Liberty. There was a lot of time between arriving and the start time. I sat waiting with my friends until it was time to line up. Maybe next time I will take a later ferry or bus because it was too much waiting.
Race
Miles 1-11 (7:19, 6:28, 6:48, 6:44, 6:41, 6:41, 6:37, 6:44, 6:43, 6:36, 6:46)
We started the race with Ivan. It was good to start the race with a familiar face. Mile 1 is the steepest as we go across the Verrazzano Narrows Bridge. Mile 2 was a nice downhill and we picked up the pace. We were moving at a good pace and were on track for 2:57-2:58. We were taking it all in. Brooklyn and Williamsburg was wild. So many people up close and personal.
Miles 12-18 (6:48, 6:42, 6:46, 6:57, 7:03, 6:44, 6:33)
Ivan picked up the pace at Mile 12 and that was the last I saw of him. I aimed to keep the pace within the 6:40’s to conserve energy before we crossed the Queensboro Bridge at Mile 16. I’m glad I did because that was a long and quiet climb. I saw another Cambodian I met at the start, Ty, and we ran together through the Manhattan portion (starting at Mile 17). Entering 1st Ave was pretty crazy and energized the field.
Miles 19-23 (6:43, 6:46, 6:42, 6:41, 6:42)
I was starting to feel the fatigue around Mile 19. I didn’t want to say it and push along. I saw Matt, another friend from Dallas, between miles 20-21 in the Bronx. He was having a tough day and I tried to pace with him. He told me to keep pushing and so I did.
Miles 24-Finish (7:06, 6:34, 6:34, 3:11/6:19 per mile)
We entered Manhattan on 5th Ave and that climb was a beating. I thought I was powering through as I passed people but my pace was still in the low 7’s. I kept my cool and we finally made our turn into Central Park. Finally some downhill for the last couple of miles. I saw the finish area after a few more turns. I smiled and brought it home. What a race!
Post-race
The walk out of Central Park was close to a mile and maybe more. It took forever to leave and the subway from Columbus Circle was packed. I couldn’t get on the express train back to my hotel in FiDi but it was about 20-25 minutes on the subway. Celebrated with my other Dallas finishers in Brooklyn and called it night after getting some Prince Street Pizza. I love NYC and I love the marathon, but not sure if I will be back to run the marathon again. But I will visit again soon!
