Boston has a similar crowd vibe - people are along the course to cheer for everyone. It's so energizing. NYCM is my second favorite marathon after Boston.
As a Brit who gets wept along in all the NYC and CHI marathon vlogs every autumn this was an awesome insight into pros and cons of both. They're both on the list for the future but clearly some saving up is going to have to be done! Easy to follow and listen to and still inspired to do both. Congrats on getting both of them under your belt and look forward to seeing the journey to Boston!
Everything you said is very true. Same as you, I ran Chicago and NYC this year. Chicago was my goal race (a PR and BQ!), and NYC was for fun. NYC is also my hometown marathon, so I'm probably biased when I say is a very special experience. But Chicago is awesome as well.
I had run both in 2022, and NYC a few times before. Both are fantastic races and well worth participating in. But NYC is damn well near a religious experience, especially if it is your 1st.
For those who are not Americans you can enter through one of the many approved international tour operators (spaces are limited) for both New York and Chicago. My friend just ran New York last weekend with I Run the Globe (Canadian) and I'm using I Run the Globe as a Canadian for London 2024.
I havent done the others but have done Chicago 3 times.. The logistics of just getting to the start just seem alot easier and you can honestly be running within 2 hours of waking up while the others you sit around for quite awhile and eating comes into play again after waking up.. Id love to do the others as well sometime
So great to hear about both races! Sounds like both were a blast! I haven’t run a marathon before, and not sure I ever will. Can you talk sometime about going from a half to a full marathon ? Do you still do halfs?
great recap of the two majors ! totally agree that a course with some elevation change is better than a pancake flat course. I feel like the logistics of any major marathon take a lot out of you and should be for fun- save a PR attempt for a mid-sized race like Houston, Grandma's or CIM. Congrats on two great races!
