Inspiration Part 8: It's A Wrap!

They've been called Space Blanket, Mylar sheets and Heat Sheets, and they mean the same thing. That's the silver foil thingy that you're wrapped in not long after you cross the finish line. The purpose of turning you into a walking baked potato is to keep you toasty as you trudge to collect your belongings from the UPS trucks some distance away. Fall in NYC is cold, especially to us from the tropics. We run in 33C temperatures! But in 10C NYC (it could drop to as low as 7C), we'll be freezing our digits off. By the time we finish the marathon, we'll be wet and losing a lot of heat (but hopefully very ecstatic!). Worry not, the volunteers care!

Well drilled in these sort of operations, these volunteers get the task of wrapping the thousands upon thousands of finishers down to a pat, in a display of efficiency that will have a Back-Office Operations Manager nodding in approval.

Check the article out here.

Inspiration Part 7: The People Manning The Booths

This extract from the 1996 RW feature will give you an idea of what goes on behind the scenes. Click on them to read. Don't forget to check out the expo video.

Inspiration Part 6: Grete Waitz

A model ambassador for the NYCM, this Norwegian school teacher dominated this marathon a total of 9 times! Prior to her first NYCM, she had never ran - be it trained or raced - a marathon distance before. In 1991, Waitz was named Female Runner of the Quarter Century by Runner's World magazine. She considers finishing the 1992 race with then Race Director Fred Lebow her 10th victory. Read her amazing story below and here too.

Inspiration Part 5: Stories & Pictures

They say a picture tells a thousand words. Here are some - just click on them to read the story and narrations.

Wonderful photo collage on various aspects of the race

Dedicating the race to a loved one is often the motivation of marathoners. Why not do it on the biggest stage a lay runner can participate?

After waiting for close to 4 hours, these runners are getting ready to take off. The Verazzano Bridge is in the background. Much of the clothes the runners have on will be discarded along the way - these will make it to various charities

Tension written on the face of the elites

Waiting for the start at the Athletes' Village while the wheelchair racers prep up

The elites have finished but the masses are still out there

I'd not only be very tired here but emotional too, having realized my dream!

Inspiration Part 4: The Expo

Before the expo was held at the Jacob Javits Convention Center (located to the south-west direction of Central Park, by the Hudson River), it was at the New York Coliseum which has since been demolished. Unless you've been to mega-marathons overseas, it's unlikely that you've come across an expo this big. With over 100 exhibitors and over 120,000 visitors over 3 days, think "pasar malam" in the biggest sense. From free product samplings, gear, talks, autograph sessions, souvenirs, you will be tempted to spend too much time on your feet than necessary. Having said that try to collect your race packs on the first day (opens from 10am to 8pm) of the Expo.

Here are newer photos of some large booths you will be able to see there. Happening, isn't it? A side note is that the eateries in the center is expensive and not very nice. Some locals also call it the white elephant on the Hudson (also click that left link for eating tips)! I guess some things are the same elsewhere!

Collection Hall

asics Booth

Mizuno Booth

Powerbar Booth

Jacob Javits Convention Center
655 W 34th St New York, NY 10001
Phone: (212) 216-2000

Getting there:

Any train, subway or bus to Grand Central Terminal, Port Authority Bus Terminal or any stop along 42nd Street, then M42 bus west to Javits Center. Some M42 buses terminate at the Circle Line Pier; be sure to take one marked 'Javits Center'

Any train, subway or bus to Penn Station or any stop along 34th Street, then M34 bus west to Javits Center. Some M34 buses terminate at the Port Authority Bus Terminal; be sure to take one marked 'Javits Center'

Bus Stops for the M34 and M42 are located on the 2nd level at the south end of Javits Center, just past the overhang under the Crystal Palace, about where 35th Street would cross

Taxi Getting to the Javits Center by cab is easy, getting away in the late afternoon or early evening is very difficult -- there aren't any taxis dropping off arriving passengers, so there aren't any to pick up departing passengers

Inspiration Part 3: The Melting Pot

One of the highlights for international participants of the marathon is the International Friendship Run. I briefly covered this in an earlier post. But here's the feature by RW back in 1993.

Inspiration Part 2: All Are Welcome

Widely acknowledged as the pioneer event that transformed the marathon into an accessible event for the masses. The New York Road Runners (NYRR) and co-founder Fred Lebow literally created the marathon boom in the US and influenced the rise of other major marathons around the world.

Never had a running event bring 38,000 runners (check out the picture of the bridge below), 2 million spectators, media coverage, and the largest melting pot of a city together in a single day. The race has grown so big that many will agree that it's not as accessible in the true sense of the word. Every year nearly 100,000 entries are received but only 40,000 are accepted. It's high entry fee and other costs (NYC is an expensive place) also contributed to the negatives.

But that doesn't stop people from trying their luck in the annual lottery. Such is allure of NYCM. Below is a photo report of an Achilles Track Club (ATC) member who set off on the race at 6am (4 hours before the mass start). The ATC are allocated a certain number of slots for the marathon. The ATC was established by Dick Traum in 1983 to encourage disabled people to participate in long-distance running with the general public.

To read the articles, click on the thumbnails below.

Inspiration Part 1: If Not For Fred Lebow...

...the NYCM would not be what is it today. The marathon is as old as I am. But only when Fred Lebow and the NYRRC moved it from the Central Park to the 5 boroughs of New York City, in 1976, did it become an Event. So it is fitting that the first retrospective posting from the result of my spring cleaning of past issues of Runners World magazine start with this inspirational person. The tribute is written no-less by George Hirsch, then publisher of the magazine, with a moving wrap-up by Amby Burfoot. To read and be inspired, just click on each image below. Enjoy...

How The Seed Was Planted

Some of you may be wondering how my desire to run the NYCM came to be. It was planted way back in the mid-80s when the I was buying the Runners World (RW) magazine at regular intervals - long before they became the glossy, ad-infused prints. By this I'm not saying that it's something bad. Glossy, attractive and ad-laden magazines sell to the masses. It makes the sport more accessible and appeals in drawing more beginners wanting to find out more about running. The result was that serious and advance runners need to look at other sources (such as Running Times - RT - for example) for more hardcore stuff. I can live with losing a favourite magazine if more newbies can be brought into the sport. Hey, we're runners and so we're resourceful. If it's serious juice we want, we can still lay our sweaty hands on books by Daniels, Pfitzinger and Noakes. Incidentally RW recently acquired RT but that's another story.

Back then, RW had really good stuff, from George Sheehan's columns to Bob Wischnia's quarterly shoe reviews. The editions then too contain lots of full length features and reports on key races such at the US Marathon Trials, World Championships, Olympics and the major league marathons of the world. Indeed much of my race report writing "skills" were honed from reading many of such reports. I was also interested in the careers of many elites such as Bob Kempainen, Bill Reifsnyder, Gelindo Bordin, Douglas Wakiihuri, Juma Ikangaa, Ibrahim Hussein, Doug "Mr 2:20" Kurtis and many many more. But I digress.

All the magic of the big races come alive in the pages of the old issues and it never ceases to amaze me how many runners actually run these races every year. David Bedford, David McGillivray and Fred Lebow became legends for their success in directing the London, Boston and New York Marathons. I will share with you, starting with the next posting, the articles that planted the desire in me to one day run in these big races, specifically New York. Perhaps they will also ignite the flame in you.

Past Abebe Bikila Award Winners

Check the list out. 2 big names are missing - Paul Tergat, Haile Gebrselassie - but I'm sure their recognition is very soon forthcoming.

1978 - Ted Corbitt (USA)
1979 - Emil Zatopek (Czechoslovakia)
1980 - Lasse Viren (Finland)
1981 - Frank Shorter (USA)
1982 - Mamo Wolde (Ethiopia)
1983 - Grete Waitz (Norway)
1984 - Derek Clayton (Australia)
1985 - John A. Kelley (USA)
1986 - Joan Samuelson (USA)
1987 - Kee Chung Sohn (South Korea)
1988 - Alberto Salazar (USA)
1989 - Bill Rodgers (USA)
1990 - Waldemar Cierpinski (Germany)
1991 - Alain Mimoun (France)
1992 - Ingrid Kristiansen (Norway)
1993 - Rod Dixon (New Zealand)
1994 - Juma Ikangaa (Tanzania)
1995 - Fred Lebow (USA)
1996 - Orlando Pizzolato (Italy)
1997 - Lisa Ondieki (Australia)
1998 - Rosa Mota (Portugal)
1999 - Tegla Loroupe (Kenya)
2000 - Khalid Khannouchi (USA)
2001 - Mayor Rudolph Giuliani (USA)
2002 - Allison Roe (New Zealand)
2003 - Kathrine Switzer (USA)
2004 - Stefano Baldini (Italy)
2005 - Mizuki Noguchi (Japan)
2006 - Paula Radcliffe (Great Britain)

Continental Airlines International Friendship Run

While the main event takes place every first Sunday of November, there's a smaller but no less significant run that takes place at 9am the day before marathon Sunday. That's the Continental Airlines International Friendship Run (CAIFR). Flagged off at the United Nations HQ after the presentation of the Abebe Bikila Award (annual award to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the sport of distance running), the fun run through the streets of Midtown Manhattan sees participation from marathon registrants the world over - international participants run for FREE! Friends and family members too can run if they'd purchased USD20 tickets at the Marathon Health and Fitness Expo.

The celebration of friendship and diversity is never more joyous than this run, a testament that running brings people together. It drives home the fact that runners can make a difference. Many participants wear their national colours or carry flags in joyful demonstration of international diversity. The experience in NYC will not be only about the marathon but also about making friends and soaking up the atmosphere. You can see more photos of the event here.

Note: Past winners of the Abebe Bikila Award include Fred Lebow, Frank Shorter, Bill Rodgers, Tegla Loroupe and former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani.