Runners are welcomed in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, by a cheering crowd and a loud noise, especially noticeable after the wind and the silence of the bridge (except for the helicopters buzzing around it). In total, approx 19 kilometers of the course is run in Brooklyn.
Volunteers and locals gather along Fourth Avenue, the long road that will take runners to the heart of Downtown Brooklyn.
Over 246,000 liters of water and 120,000 liters of supplements are distributed during the NYC Marathon. It is no coincidence that the sponsors of the event also include Poland Spring and Gatorade.
Runners travel approximately 7.5 kilometers along Fourth Avenue through the neighborhoods of Bay Ridge, Sunset Park, Greenwood Heights, Park Slope, Gowanus, and Downtown Brooklyn.
The stream of runners on Fourth Avenue is uninterrupted for hours. Photographer Benjamin Norman produced a video titled “The Marathon in a Minute” with a timelapse of the athletes passing along this part of the course. You can admire the video on the pages of the New York Times online.
Along the way, over 150 bands perform live for runners. It is not uncommon for the public and even some marathoners to stop, dance and sing with the bands.
About every mile, NYRR volunteers welcome and support runners along the way. The refreshment points along the first part of the route offer only liquids. Later on, gels, energy bars, and bananas are also offered.
Over 12,000 people offer their help as volunteers to runners during the race and in the days immediately prior at the Marathon Expo, where bibs are distributed.
Runners from over 150 countries take part in the NYC Marathon and an estimated two million people cheer them on along the way through the five boroughs.
Runners from over 150 countries take part in the NYC Marathon and an estimated two million people cheer them on along the way through the five boroughs.
Runners face the Fourth Avenue stretch around the 10 kilometer mark of the race. From here on, there are “only” 32 kilometers and 195 meters to go.
The clock tower at the top of Williamsburg Savings Bank Tower is a real beacon for runners along Fourth Avenue and guides them to the heart of Brooklyn near the Barclays Center.
The course snakes its way between the brownstones of Lafayette Avenue. The noise of the crowd in this section becomes overwhelming, spurring the runners on as they begin to feel the effect of the of kilometers run so far - about 15 at this point.
The course snakes its way between the brownstones of Lafayette Avenue. The noise of the crowd in this section becomes overwhelming, spurring the runners on as they begin to feel the effect of the of kilometers run so far - about 15 at this point.
In South Williamsburg, runners are puzzled by the silence with which the local Hasidic Orthodox Jewish community welcomes them. Just beyond the Williamsburg bridge, on Bedford Avenue, the athletes find two banks of deafening crowds to welcome and cheer them on.
In South Williamsburg, runners are puzzled by the silence with which the local Hasidic Orthodox Jewish community welcomes them. Just beyond the Williamsburg bridge, on Bedford Avenue, the athletes find two banks of deafening crowds to welcome and cheer them on.
Hay barriers lead the way and protect runners with disabilities from the sudden right they must make to turn onto Greenpoint Avenue, in the delightful neighborhood of Polish origin, Greenpoint.
Volunteers offer their support to marathoners as they complete the last part of the route that runs through Brooklyn.
The Pulaski Bridge connects Brooklyn to Queens. The small drawbridge offers a short, demanding climb that coincides precisely with the half-marathon point. The view of Midtown in Manhattan with the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building is majestic, but often a strong wind blows and gusts along the Newton Creek canal below.
The Pulaski Bridge connects Brooklyn to Queens. The small drawbridge offers a short, demanding climb that coincides precisely with the half-marathon point. The view of Midtown in Manhattan with the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building is majestic, but often a strong wind blows and gusts along the Newton Creek canal below.
Runners face the descent of Pulaski Bridge leaving Brooklyn behind, “Like no other place in the world!” as the road sign says.
The final meters of the bridge and the industrial soul of Queens and the threatening profile of the Queensboro Bridge is already visible on the horizon.
