Getting a spot in the TCS New York City Marathon is difficult. I knew I had to run this race, and opted to join Team For Kids to guarantee me a bib. I had to raise $2,620.00 for the organization leading up to race day. Joining Team For Kids made this race experience smooth and enjoyable. If you can run for a one of the many partnering charities, I strongly encourage you to do so. The support and camaraderie you receive alleviate many of the pre-race and race-day stressors that are bound to arise at a large-scale marathon like this.

Getting to the starting line and waiting in the starting area for the hours leading up until corral starts was a draining experience. Team For Kids provided buses to Staten Island for all their runner, which was wonderful because getting there would have been very difficult as I was traveling in from New Jersey on race day. Many runners had to sit outside in the cold morning air for hours before their corral took off, but Team For Kids provided heated tents, their own port-a-potties, and food to fuel up. I would have felt stressed about the hours and logistics leading up to my own corral start, but Team For Kids took care of their runners!

The marathon itself was exhilarating. The first two miles take you across the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, and straight into cheering crowd waiting as runners cross into Brooklyn. The course is composed of a handful of bridges and is otherwise relatively flat and easy to run, so long as you've trained properly! I managed to stick with one of the pacers for a large portion of the race, which helped me feel confident about running a comfortable yet goal-worthy time. The water stations and bathrooms scattered throughout were spaced out well, and volunteers at the stations offered the perfect boost of morale.
At the finish line, things get congested. I opted for the post-race poncho as opposed to a gear check. This made the process of weaving my way out of central park with flocks of runners a lot quicker, and the poncho is necessary for keeping warm!

The course scenery offers runners unending views of all 5 boroughs, dozens of landmarks, and the most enthusiastic and uplifting crowds I've experienced. The marathon brings out the best of New York City, and the energy of the people lining the entire race course pushed me to keep going when I felt like I couldn't. People from all walks of life, whose stories vary vastly, have worked hard for months to get themselves to the starting line, and you can feel that power in every single mile of the race. The finish line, after weaving through Central Park, is heavily emotional.

The TCS New York City Marathon is truly a bucket-list race. It is worth ALL of the effort you have to give in order to gain a spot among the over 50,000 runners gathering from across the world. Running across New York's 5 boroughs is not only a scenic and historic trek - the momentum of this race is an affirmation of self, of growth, and of the power of humanity and human connection.