What an incredible race! Besides the shear size of it, what stands out most to me is how well organized it is. This should be the gold standard. Communication is great. The expo was huge. Bib pickup was organized, well staffed, signage and information was available throughout.

We took the ferry option and it was a wonderful way to start off the day. After a short ride and numerous picturesque selfies we arrived in Staten Island. Was happy to find numerous food options available and we hung out for a bit before heading out to the shuttle buses. The bus ride was a good 35 minutes. Lots of people waiting. But again, plenty of volunteers and everything seemed well rehearsed and orderly.

A few other races recently had huge snafus with regard to security. Long lines, huge backups, etc. But the NY Marathon handles security the way it should be. Entering the ferry terminal they had many officers with dogs that professionally and efficiently processed runners with just a quick sniff. Then after the buses arrived I was surprised to see that each drop off was cordoned off and staffed by 3 officers with metal detecting wands. They quickly screened everyone as they came off and entered the village. This was genius! With at least 4 start times and multiple points of entry they were able to screen everybody in an orderly fashion. No choke points or long lines!

The start village was huge. Portable potties galore all easily accessible. Basically no lines. And I know they had more than enough because I was in the last wave and you could be within a few feet of them and no smell anything unpleasant at all :) There was still plenty of free coffee and snacks. Garbage and castoffs were piling up and looking a bit unsightly but I saw plenty of volunteers tackling it.

The only little negative I encountered was that my sister and I wanted to run together. We consulted 3 different staff at the expo who told us one thing only to have the person screening the corrals tell us something different. Not a biggie but a bit of last minute anxiety I could have done without.

As for the course itself, it was beautiful and iconic. Support tables were plentiful. Even in the last wave and with a 12:00 pace there was plenty of water, Gatorade, Gu and fruit available. The bridges were amazing especially the Verrazano. The crowd support was amazing. So many people playing music, offering high fives, offering tissues, shouting encouragement. I loved seeing all the diversity and support. The bridges as expected were a bit tough to run...especially the Willis Bridge. One supporter to my amusement was yelling "One last damn bridge!"

I loved that there were many timing mats all along the course. My family loved being able to see my progress. The app was wonderful and easy to use. I loved that there were plenty of cameras...it's nice to have photos as a momento of your accomplishment. The medal was beautiful, the goodies were fine and the poncho is something I'll probably keep forever. It was a long walk from the finish line to the exit. But I was impressed that they had medical spotters in the crowds insuring that everybody was well.

This was my first full marathon so obviously it's going to be memorable. But I'm sure it'll still stand out for me no matter how many others I do. I highly recommend this as a must do in your lifetime race! HF#12739

Given that this was their first time i give them lots of slack. Firstly bib pickup. Many of my friends felt that it was unclear that you could not have some one else pick up your bib. Other RnR races apparently allowed this. The expo was a big disappointment. I've been to other RNR races as well as other races of this size. I showed up at the expo looking forward to seeing what was new in the running world and ready to spend money. There was basically nothing to buy and no vendors. Saw dome RNR tees that were nice but $50 is pretty ridiculous even for a tech tee. Other big races charge around $35.

Day of race i heard a lot of grumbling about parking. Being within driving distance of nyc i knew that unless you paid more for a guaranteed spot you can easily be out of luck. Not the races fault. People need to plan around parking in nyc.

Having done many races I don't know how RNR could have underestimated the number of portapotties required. Lines were long!

Then the security line was super long. There were not enough security to screen this number of racers. And it seems like many ppl did not know you could not run with bags and packs. Ultimately i think because it was taking too long they basically let everyone just walk through.

The race itself was great. I loved the course. Music was wonderful though i wish it was louder in spots. I know that was due to local restrictions which was too bad. Loved the performers in stilts and the cheerleaders.

The medal and tee were great. Post race snacks were great but it was a bit crazy getting everything. Hardly any trash cans meant garbage piled all over. No cell signal or maybe it was overwhelmed meant it was really hard to meet up with friends and family.

Did not stay for the concert. It was cold! And I wasn't adequately dressed. This race has potential and a great course. It has some problems to work out and i'm hoping next year will be much improved. I'm already signed up! #HF12739

This was my first half. So well organized. Things went perfectly. Packet pickup went exactly as planned, parking was easy. Expo was large. Course runs through diverse neighborhoods, not always the most picturesque but the end was great. Love that there were finisher shirts to purchase. Liked that after race snacks were pre bagged. You have to shuttle back to your car. Shuttle lines were long but efficient. Plenty of buses that got you back quickly. Loved the spinner medals. #HF12739

Love this little race. The course is flat and picturesque. The crowd support is wonderful. And the atmosphere is just fun and easy. Running on the boardwalk is like nothing else. Love that the expo is after. The expo is excellent. Lots of vendors. #HF12739