“It’s wild. It is New York’s Super Bowl. Every single borough comes out to play, and it’s amazing.”
OK, soon-to-be New York City Marathoners: Here it is! Your unofficial guide to the 2022 TCS New York City Marathon. Today, with the help of a few very special guests, I’m here to answer all of your NYCM-related questions. This is a mega-episode — 2.5 hours long! — so enjoy your taper, listen in, and take lots of deep breaths knowing you’ve got this.
As for me: The New York City Marathon is my Super Bowl, my Christmas, my birthday, my favorite day of the year. It was the first marathon I ever watched, back in 2008, when I went out to cheer for a coworker who was running the race. (Thanks for the inspiration, Therese!) I’ve run it three times — in 2013, 2014, and 2016 — and volunteered once, in 2015, at a fluid station. In 2017, I cheered on “First and Fifth,” and in 2018, at three weeks postpartum, going to the New York City Marathon was my first outing since having a baby. I sat in the grandstands as Shalane Flanagan finished third, and pumped in a fancy finish line porta potty. Then, in 2019, I got the best seat in the house for the first time: New York City Marathon finish line announcer. This will be my third year as one of the race’s announcers, and it’s a huge honor. I can’t wait to see you.
And this episode isn’t just for the marathoners: We have tips for spectators, a breakdown of how to get into the race in the future, and general advice for marathon-day fueling and hydrating.
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What you’ll get on this episode:
- New York City Marathon race director Ted Metellus talks about what makes the New York City Marathon so iconic (3:30)
- Ali answers your pre-race questions, including how to get into the race, dealing with logistics-related overwhelm, and how to watch the race on TV (27:15)
- Molly Seidel, who broke the American course record at last year’s race, offers her advice for racing the New York City Marathon — plus a life update! (34:00)
- Everything you need to know about getting to the start village, and what it’ll be like once you’re there (50:30)
- Registered dietitian and five-time New York City Marathoner Kelly Hogan answers questions about how to fuel and hydrate on race morning and throughout the day (1:09:15)
- All about the New York City Marathon course (1:23:20)
- Running coach Anoush Arakelian offers course strategy advice, whether you want to race to a personal best or run-walk and enjoy the scenery (1:31:15)
- All about the finish line and beyond (1:54:15)
- How to be an awesome spectator (2:00:30)
- What happens after you cross the finish line (2:06:25)
- Questions for Ali (2:09:30)
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