Where to Watch the Marathon?

A Guide for Spectators

 

After many miles of training, much of it solo, participants in the ING New York City Marathon are treated to a five-borough jaunt through New York City in the company of more than 30,000 fellow marathoners. As if that isn't enough, they will also have the support of more than 2 million spectators lining the course from Brooklyn through the finish near Central Park's Tavern on the Green.

The spectator presence turns the marathon into a 26.2-mile long stadium snaking through the five boroughs of America's most dynamic metropolis. "It's really a celebration of the city," says Cliff Held, 58, a longtime Brooklynite and former coach of the New York Flyers, who advises spectators to make a party out of the event.

"It's a wonderful day for meeting people you wouldn't otherwise meet," says Roger Robinson, 65, a veteran marathoner and devoted spectator who relies on the subway and his legs to transport him to several spots along the route.

 

Spectator Prep
When planning your marathon-watching strategy, consider what you want to accomplish. Are you mostly interested in seeing the top finishers, or do you want to cheer on the whole pack? Are you trying to keep tabs on a single person and, if so, at one spot or multiple spots? If you just want to see the race, do you want to be part of a merry crowd or would you rather have a little peace and quiet? Whatever your spectator goal, pack a lunch, wear comfortable shoes, and prepare to be inspired.

Whether you're planning to stake out one spot or to race around the course, be prepared. You may be outdoors for six hours or more and the temperature, though usually comfortable for running at this time of year, can be chilly for less active endeavors. Check the weather forecast before you head out, and dress in layers. Have a game plan for getting to where you want to be. If you are supporting a particular runner, make sure he or she knows where to look for you (including which side of the street you'll be on) and what you'll be wearing. Keep young children at your side and leash your dog.

Give yourself plenty of time to reach your location. If you're headed for a popular spot, such as First Avenue, Central Park, or Central Park South, you'll want to get there early.

After the race, arrange to meet your marathoner at the family reunion area, which is organized into alphabetical zones by last name and bib color, along Central Park West from 73rd to 85th Streets. It takes most finishers about half an hour to reach the reunion area after crossing the finish line. If your marathoner has dropped out or is receiving medical attention, race officials will relay that information to reunion area volunteers. Check at the information tables if you can't find your marathoner.

 

Where to Go
(Consult the spectator map for subway station locations. Consult the MTA's Web site for travel advisories.)

 

Brooklyn. To see runners at their freshest, the best spots are in Brooklyn, from near 92nd Street in Bay Ridge all the way up Fourth Avenue. Marathoner Robert White, 45, who generally trains and races by himself, enjoys the crowd's cheering as he exits the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. "The streets are lined with thousands of people cheering you on like you're some kind hero," he says. "You know they've already cheered on at least 15,000 people ahead of you, including the pending winner, who will finish about an hour and a half ahead of you. But they root you on like old friends. It's then you realize what a special day this is in New York City, and why you trained, and you can happily gallop the next 24 miles, ready to meet more of your millions of new friends."

Along Fourth Avenue, make sure you know your marathoner's start color, so you can stand on the correct side of the road. The lead pack begins to develop around the 5-mile point (near 42nd Street), a spot strategically accessible by several subways. Robinson makes mile 5 his first viewing location. "It's always very quiet at that point," he notes. "There's no problem getting close to the runners."

Carole Morrisey, 35, who watches the marathon when she doesn't run it, advises spectators trying to see a particular marathoner to get to a spot early and, if possible, achieve elevation. One year, cheering friends on Fourth Avenue, she stood on a fire hydrant. "My feet went to sleep," she says, but her friends were able to see her. As this tactic is not always practical, a sign or balloon may be a better bet.

The marathon continues along Fourth Avenue to the Williamsburg Savings Bank tower, a Brooklyn landmark visible for miles. This is a popular viewing spot because the different start colors merge as the marathoners turn right onto Lafayette Avenue, which is also lined with spectators.

The 10th and 11th miles of the race go through Williamsburg, a neighborhood dominated by Hasidic communities, and mile 12 is in Greenpoint, which is largely Polish. Both are fairly sedate spectating locations.

Queens. Lower Queens is also fairly quiet as far as crowds go, perhaps because the G train, which is the sole subway line near the 14th mile, runs only along points in Brooklyn and Queens. A livelier crowd can be found at mile 15, Long Island City.

 

Manhattan. The race becomes quite spectacular at mile 16, where the marathoners exit the Queensboro Bridge to enter Manhattan at 59th Street. The crowds here are about as big as they get here—and loud. "It doesn't matter how tired you are at this point, you hear people cheering for you and you get another burst of energy just when you need it," Morrisey says. "You feel like a superstar."

The next 40 blocks or so along lower Manhattan's First Avenue are party central—not necessarily the best spots to catch sight of a specific runner, but great for a fun, loud atmosphere. Things calm down north of 110th Street.

 

Bronx. By the 20-mile mark, in the Bronx, it's pretty quiet. This suits Central Park Track Club member Stacy Creamer, 45, just fine. Creamer, who has run the marathon six times and is entered this year, was drawn to spectating in the Bronx after a fellow CPTC runner handed her some defizzed cola there in 1990. "It was just the thing to perk me up," she recalls. "If you really want to support people and see them where it isn't very congested, the Bronx is a pretty good spot." Creamer cautions, however, that runners are looking pretty haggard by this point. "It will probably not inspire you to run a marathon."

 

Manhattan, again. Many times in recent years, the winning break has been made around mile 22 in Manhattan, at Marcus Garvey Memorial Park at 122nd Street. Viewing is wide open here, and again, the marathoners deeply appreciate any support.

The next mile and a half along Manhattan's Fifth Avenue is exciting—the crowd is lively, and the marathoners are digging deep. Held watches the marathon between 91st and 92nd Streets. "I like to stand there because it's just as people are getting to the top of the hill before they enter they park and they can really use a lot of support," he says. "The nice thing about it is there are always plenty of people there, but it's never one of those overly crowded spots where you can't get to view all the runners."

The marathoners turn into the park in the 24th mile. One year, Morrisey held a sign at this point that read EACH STEP ONE CLOSER TO THE FINISH. "At that stage, people didn't really have the energy to respond," she recalls, "but I could see them smile and nod their heads, and it was really rewarding as a spectator."

Central Park and Central Park South are thrilling—but crowded, so arrive early to secure a spot and choose your location with an eye toward where you want to end up after the marathon, as crossing Central Park South is difficult to impossible during the race.

Watching the marathon finish requires careful planning in advance. Unreserved grandstand seats are located on the west side of the course several blocks south of the finish line. Enter the park at Columbus Circle and proceed north, and plan to arrive early. Alternatively, you may purchase tickets for VIP seating adjacent to the finish line and in easy viewing distance of the large-screen WNBC-TV race broadcast. Seating time is 11:30 a.m. Click here for information on ticket pricing and availability. Tickets to the Finish Line Banquet at Tavern on the Green, which include a finish line seat, have sold out.

 

If You Can't Be There in Person...
The race will be broadcast live on WNBC Channel 4 for five hours on race day starting at 9:00 a.m., and Telemundo Channel 47 will have live cut-ins during the race. In addition, NBC Sports will broadcast a one-hour highlight show nationwide beginning at 2:00 p.m. EST. You can also follow the race in real time on the Web using the ING New York City Marathon Real-Time Tracker (more information will be available on Race Day). Finally, New York Road Runners and Road Runner High Speed Online will once again offer the Athlete Alert program, allowing each marathoner to register up to three people to receive mid-race splits.