There are probably thousands of blogs out there on the NYC Marathon, and here is mine. As a running coach and New Yorker, I want to share my thoughts and experience as I ran this race for the first time on my own (I’ve only ever done it before as a coach and pacer) and my first time running it in 10 years.

The New York City Marathon is a bucket-list experience for runners and non-runners around the world. NYC is iconic, inspirational, and an energy unlike anywhere else. I often refer to NYC Marathon as the “Coachella of all marathons” because it’s an experience that’s above any other marathon. For one thing, just getting to the starting line is an ordeal, and most marathoners are awake for a solid 5-7 hours before their race even begins. The logistics can feel overwhelming. Then toss in the reality of 59,000 runners on the course, all of the volunteers and millions of spectators, and it can and often feel like sensory overload. This can feel magical and like a true “high” all day, and for some runners it’s a little overstimulating. Regardless of opinion, we can all agree that the NYCM is a large, energetic day that is otherwise unmatched. Whether it’s one you return to or not, it’s definitely a once in a lifetime experience everyone should experience.

The majority of my roster runs the NYCM every year. Statistically, that’s just the way it goes. often 30-50% of my roster, and some years I’ve had the additional responsibility of leading official charity teams of 30-60 runners. As you can imagine, this means the weeks and days leading up to NYCM are very busy for me. The emails, multiple video chats with each athlete – I love it, but it also means I usually get to race weekend exhausted. The idea of being race ready that same weekend is just unrealistic. So I’ve historically planned my own race schedule to usually race a marathon in the weeks or months before NYCM, allowing me to truly pour my energy into my athletes and their needs and goals. I’m then on the course cheering on marathon day, bouncing around with nervous energy and shouting words of support to runners on the course after the sun has set.

Getting into the NYCM is hard – general lottery, 9+1 (local runners), charity, or time qualifier. I had a marathon time qualifier, and decided on a whim to apply with that time in 2024. I figured I could use it as a fun run, and I’d be able to track and cheer most of my athletes after crossing my own finish line. With entry confirmed, my 2024 plan was to race the Berlin Marathon and then fun run the NYCM. But thanks to multiple bouts of covid and then an additional respiratory illness, my health and training spiraled. I decided to defer both for 2025.

Life happened again in 2025 in a few ways. One, I have a super senior cat. He’s 20 years old and truly my best buddy. He continues to have mostly good days, but has had some tough weeks. I just couldn’t commit to flying 8 hours and being on a 6-hour time zone change. I couldn’t live with myself if something happened and I wasn’t able to get back quickly. So I deferred Berlin (again) to 2026 and instead pivoted to a state-side goal marathon. I was accepted into the elite field for the St. George Marathon and while it would still mean traveling from my kitty kiddo, logistics would be much easier. My new coach (we began in April together) and I were on a roll, and I was building some incredible momentum by early Summer. Enter my right hamstring. Suddenly I was sidelined with tendonitis. My left hamstring has been a chronic problem over the years, and now that it was happy apparently my right one needed some attention.

Long story short, I had to pause all running for a few weeks. I worked hard in the gym doing leg day and PT work, and lived on an elliptical whenever I could. By early September, I ran 10 miles within a week. Peanuts compared to where I should be. I canceled St. George, as there was no way I could go from barely running to a marathon within 4 weeks – especially one with so many hills. And I honestly didn’t know if NYCM would be a good idea. I took things one day at a time, and was slowly able to get back to running 6 days per week. I got in two long runs, a 15 and an 18 miler. I got up to two 50-mile weeks. I was confident I could complete the NYCM if the hamstring continued to feel good. I was in it for a fun time and not a fast time, and took that decision to heart. It felt like such a milestone to pick up my first NYCM bib in 10 years. It felt surreal given the previous months that this was possible. And NYCM was my return to the marathon since 2023.

As a theater kid who fell in love with NYC at 26 years old, it was always the place I saw myself. The energy, history, and diversity of it all. The possibilities and potential. NYC is tough. She’s gritty and unapologetic. She can lift you up or trample you. She doesn’t care who you are, what language you speak or how long you’ve been here. We are all insignificant yet necessary cogs in the wheel. Moving to NYC in 2009, it truly felt like I was where I belonged. When I fell out of love with a career in the arts and into a career in run coaching, NYC is where the career change happened. As a person and a runner, NYC has shaped me more than any other place. I owe so much of who I am and how I coach to this beautiful and chaotic place.

Walking through Times Square at 4:45am to the bus to the starting line, tears filled my eyes. I usually avoid Times Square like the plague – most locals do. But with it being lit up and alive with yet nobody there but a handful of people, this is the New York I love most. Those quiet moments that feel like a secret when everyone else is asleep. I told myself to truly feel NYC that day – every encounter, every mile and every high and low. To be present and lead with joy. To take in the course as though I may never run it again – this way I won’t have any regrets if that’s true.

I smiled for probably 24 of the 26 miles of the marathon. I played with the crowd, yelled words of encouragement to other runners, truly had the most fun. I also ran perhaps one of my most evenly paced marathons of my career. my hamstring held up, and this felt like a true victory lap after a few years of setbacks.

Here are three things I did this marathon that truly set me up for success:

• I took my three-day carb load seriously, consuming 450-500 grams per day.
• I ran with a handheld bottle for most of the race. I started with 1000mg of electrolytes in it, and then paused to refill three times at aid stations. The sun was warm, so holding onto my bottle was very helpful.
• I manually lapped my watch every 5K. This allowed me to stay honest with pacing (especially early!) while also not looking at my watch much at all. This allowed me to take in all of the neighborhoods and crowds.

It felt amazing to be a part of the day as a runner and not just a coach. But don’t get me wrong, my mind went multiple times to my athletes, and wondering what kind of days they were having. With my phone in my back pocket and notifications off, I did my best to balance my own day while also eagerly waiting for the finish line so that I could pull up everyone’s data on the tracker.

I know it sounds cliche, but each marathon teaches us something new if we let it. My biggest takeaways from Sunday: this sport is such a gift. We get to do this. PRs are fun, and while I am itching to race fast times again, PRs aren’t everything. Joy, being connected with others and ourselves, truly soaking in memories, feeling and seeing the best in humanity – those are sometimes the real wins.

I love New York.