Pre Race: I have to say that NYRR Marathon Expo is so straightforward. One can get in and out within minutes, without taking pictures or shopping, it probably would have taken me 30 minutes to get all of my materials for the marathon. The Expo is an excellent place to get tips on the course and buy any last minute items that one may need for the marathon.

Lucky for most of us, there was not too much rain that affected the wait for the starting gun on Staten Island. Although it was a little wet, the weather seemed not to deter the runners, because there was so much energy at the start of the race. Outside of running 26.1 miles, this marathon is an ultimate sightseeing event that takes you through the five boroughs of NYC. Well, runners do not spend too much time in the Bronx. Although the marathon can be on the pricy side, it is well worth it because NYRR provides plenty of fluid stations, crowd support, police control, transportation (although the Staten Island Ferry is free), and an amazing expo. After running this marathon for the second time, I do not think there is much that I would do to change it. It would be nice to have a little more of the course in the Bronx, but I do not think that will ever happen.

For this marathon, I really was not trying to run for specific time, because I could not train as much as I would have liked. Even though I did not run for s specific time, I felt like I 'experienced' this marathon rather than 'run' it. For this marathon, I was able to fully take in the crowd's enthusiasm and interact with it - throughout the entire 26.2 miles. I was surprised to see how many people stayed out during the rain and well into the evening.

I loved running this marathon (well maybe love is not the correct word to use), so much that I'm trying to enter 2018's marathon by finishing my NYRR 9+1 race program.

A few tips:
1. If you are going to celebrate near Central Park, try to make reservations before the marathon because many restaurants will be crowded.
2. Sign up for a free pass from Crunch gym, so you can shower after the marathon.
3. After running 26.2, be prepared to walk around a 1-2 miles if you check a bag.
4. Bring trash bags, so you can sit on the ground in the runners' village. You never know how wet/cold the grass will be.
5. Take plenty of pictures and run for the experience of running in one of the largest marathons in the world.
6. Although the course is mostly flat, one should do hill work. The Queensboro Bridge is really though after running 16 miles.