The New York marathon is also and above all 50,000 runners announced, 2 million spectators expected and the guarantee of visiting almost the entire city. The route of the race runs through its 5 major boroughs: Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan and the Bronx, before reaching the finish in a flagship location in the city: Central Park. A unique experience, which I have the chance to live with two other Jura runners, Claude Stadelmann and Lucas Ludwig, members of the same running team.
The excitement of a city
Traveling with the Lausanne group “Tourism for All”, we are a good group of 200 people to set foot on American soil on Thursday, November 2, 2023. If we still carry the status of “marathoners” and not “finishers” , we were immediately acclaimed by New Yorkers. When collecting their bib, each runner is greeted with a set of bells and cheers if they participate in the event. In stores, the question is common: « Do you run the marathon ? Yes ? Wow congratulations ! ». The city is in turmoil, and you can feel it. Almost everywhere, we come across “runners” of different nationalities taking selfies in the streets of Times Square. The day before the race, the roads close, Italian restaurants are mobbed, while the mix of excitement and adrenaline builds. This Sunday, we’re running in New York.
Between excitement and expectation
Wake up at 4:50 a.m., prepare breakfast to be eaten on the bus, hang up our bibs and final hesitations about what equipment to take: despite our short night, we are as excited as fleas. We decide to run without a phone and meet at one of the exits of the finish area after receiving “the” race poncho, the one that really makes runners finishers.
5h45 : departure from the hotel with the bus which takes the runners from the first block. We have lunch, we chat, we get to know runners that we haven’t had the opportunity to meet yet, the atmosphere is good-natured. The sun rises over the city, the weather conditions look ideal. After a short hour’s journey, we discover the different starting areas: a marvelous jumble of toilets, police officers, volunteers and runners wrapped up in outfits, each more original than the last. If we mainly wear training pants, we come across living trash bags, lost Christmas elves, colorful bathrobes, and half-buried sleeping bags. This is because, once through the security gates, the wait can last several hours. And although the sun will be present, it is not hot at the moment.
8:10 am: after a last photo in front of the race badge, a final “check”, I leave my two friends and the rest of the team to return to my starting airlock. If all three of us leave at 9:10 a.m., our time objectives are different, which places us in three different perimeters. Claude hopes to run in 2h50, Lucas in 3h15 and me just under 3h. The three waves come together after a few meters, but we know that the next time we will see each other will be at the finish.
Run with the heart
8h40 : music rises from the first “corral”, before the gunshot (or cannon?) which makes everyone jump: the elites are launched. Gently, we move towards the starting line. The tension rises, we talk less. A few words from the president of the event, then the voice of Frank Sinatra and his famous song “New York” rises and accompanies us for the last minutes before departure. A theatrical Italian runner sings along with the American crooner, making us forget for a few moments the imminence of the start, when suddenly the famous “BANG!” » surprises us. « They’re crazy these Americans ! »exclaims the Italian before disappearing.
We set off. Apart from a few relaxations, the warm-up is almost non-existent. But since the race starts with an uphill climb and ends on hilly paths, the body has time to warm up. Crossing the Verrazzano bridge is almost magical, with this stream of runners drowning in a still pink sky. Then it’s diving into the city, into the crowds. And there, we are gripped to the heart. The number of people present along the roads with signs of all kinds, shouts, songs, dances elevate the runner to hero status. Better yet, the latter plays with her. And she’s just waiting for that. We harangue, we clap our hands, we use Mario mushrooms on signs to go faster, and we smile. Because it’s just crazy, running here. Stomach aches make me lower my time goal, so I take my eyes off my watch to enjoy this atmosphere. « Welcome to Brooklyn »,« Welcome to Manchester », « Welcome to Bronx », I don’t see the time passing. Or a little more from 35 kilometers, but the famous wall that I feared does not arrive. The famous « Swiss corner » supposed to be at 36 kilometers either. But at this point, we no longer think. I can’t wait to reach the finish, as I fear it. « Go girl ! » The crowd doesn’t let you go, ever. They even say that it comes to kick your butt if you stop after the 35th kilometer. But with the strength she gives you, you can’t do that to her. 37,38, 39 kilometers even if I ran in Sierre Zinal, it’s a bit unknown as to how the body will react with so many kilometers in the legs on concrete. But they are holding up and the stomach aches have disappeared, which allows me to finish by speeding up a little. I know that I cannot make up for lost time, but that I can finish by giving the maximum of myself. I arrive at Central Parc with these long paths going up and down, they hurt, but 2, then 1 kilometer from the finish, we are holding on. Panels with photos of past winners line the slopes of the last few meters; out of respect for them and because we have the impression of having been champions throughout the course, I accelerate again, and I cross the line.
Finishers
3:02. Too bad. Around me, people are happy, tested and scarred, but happy. I find Claude at the exit, standing. 2h42 for him: so a huge time for a first, but he exclaims: “It was incredible! Until the 25th kilometer, I thanked heaven for experiencing such a moment! » We wait for Lucas and we dissect our race, our sensations, this atmosphere. Lucas arrives, pale, the race was tough for him. 3:21. Wrapped up in our finishers’ ponchos, we gently emerge from the crowds in the finish area. In the absence of a taxi, we board a tuk-tuk to return to the hotel. Our medals around our necks, squeezed in this cart which wanders through the sunny streets of New York with Michael Jackson in our ears, we laugh at the picture we present to passers-by and we smile at what we have experienced. « 26 Miles, why ? » we could read. Now we have the answer.
Top 10 men
Tamirat Tola (ETH) 2h04’58 Albert Korir (KEN) 2h06’57 Shura Kitata (ETH) 2h07’11 Abdi Nageeye (NED) 2h10’21 Koen Naert (BEL) 2h10’25 Maru Teferi (ISR) 2h10’28 Iliass Aouani (ITA) 2h10’54 Edward Cheserek (KEN) 2h11’07 Jemal Yimer (ETH) 2h11’31 Futsum Zienasellassie (USA) 2h12’09
Top 10 women
Hellen Obiri (KEN) 2h27’23 Letesenbet Gidey (ETH) 2h27’29 Sharon Lokedi (KEN) 2h27’33 Birgid Kosgei (KEN) 2h27’45 Mary Ngugi (KEN) 2h27’53 Viola Cheptoo (KEN) 2h28’11 Edna Kiplagat (KEN) 2:29:40 Kellyn Taylor (USA) 2:29:48 Molly Huddle (USA) 2:32:02 Fantu Zewude Jifar (ETH) 2:34:10
Top 5 Swiss
Stephan Lowiner (Affoltern Am Albis/Zurich) 2h36’27 David Niquille (Dashing Whippets Running Team/USA) 2h37’21 Fernando Albrecht (Brig/Valais) 2h41’39 Clemens Rich (Aarau/Aargau) 2h42’35 Claude Stadelmann (Team la Vallée/Jura) 2h42’42
Top 5 Suissesses
Joelle Flueck (Affoltern Am Albis/Zurich) 2h45’40 Morgane Crausaz (Team la Vallée/Jura) 3h02’18 Clara Masserey (Haute-Nendaz/Valais) 3h05’08 Gabriela Egli (Saint-Moritz/Grisons) 3h13’43 Cornelia Ulmer (Steffisburg/Berne) 3h21’17
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2023-11-09 08:45:45
#Story #York #Marathon #Miles
