Nice article Drew! 2013 New York City Marathon Guide By Drew O’Neill, 2 November 2013, 11:20 PM Every sport has their key event or events each season. There is the Super Bowl, the World Series, the NBA Finals, The Masters, the British and US Opens, and Wimbledon. The marathon is no different than any other sport and it is highlighted by the New York City and Boston Marathons in the U.S. Every year, the NYC Marathon takes place the first Sunday in November. Every year, except last year when Hurricane Sandy bore down on the North East causing too much destruction, too much tragedy, and too was close to the Marathon. As the one-year anniversary comes and passes from Sandy, all five New York boroughs are more than ready to host another of the Marathon and start a new chapter. The New York City Marathon has changed over the storied 43 year history. When the event first started in 1970, it attracted just 127 runners who raced 4 times around Central Park in Manhattan. Around 100 spectators cheered on the competitors as Gary Muhrcke won the race in 2:31:38. Now, 43 years later, they are expecting upwards of 48,000 participants from around the world to tour every borough of the City (Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, and Manhattan). The current course record sits at 2:05:05, set by a Kenyan named Geoffrey Mutai in 2011. Mutai is back to defend his title this year. For those not familiar with the marathon circuit, these major events try to jam the field with stars of the running world. Elite runners from all over the world come to compete for the pride of their country, personal bragging rights, and financial gains. Ultimately, it comes down to the runner and the clock. Lets look at some of the top runners in the mens division. USA: Meb Keflezighi, 38 years old. Personal Best: 2:09:08, NYC in 2009. Won the 2009 New York City Marathon, Silver Medalist at the 2004 Olympics. Kenya: Geoffrey Mutai, 32. Personal Best: 2:03:02, Boston in 2011. Won the 2011 NYC Marathon in a course record 2:05:05. Mutais PB at Boston was the fastest ever recorded time for a marathon. Stanley Biwott, 27. Personal Best: 2:05:11, Paris in 2012, setting the Paris Course record during the run. Wesley Korir, 30. Personal Best: 2:06:13, Chicago in 2012. Won the 2011 Boston Marathon. Uganda: Stephen Kiprotich, 24. Personal Best: 2:08:01, London Olympics in 2012. Reigning Olympic and World Champion. How fast are these times? A 2 hour, 05 minute marathon equates to 4:46 per mile. As mind-boggling as that time is, it is now considered a normal winning time. Look for the finisher to come in around 2:04-2:05 tomorrow. The current world record is 2:03:23, set just over a month ago in Berlin by Wilson Kipsang. There is potential for the world record to be lowered yet again on Sunday with near perfect conditions and a star-studded field. Just how big of a global even is this marathon? The 2013 ING New York City Marathon will be covered live on ESPN 2 from 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM EST. The nearly 50,000 runners will be cheered on live by more than 2.5 million spectators lining the streets, as well as followed by an ever growing TV/internet audience of near 330 million world wide. To put this into perspective, the recent final clinching Game 6 of the World Series drew 19.2 million viewers and the 2013 Super Bowl attracted 108.4 million viewers. New York City Marathon by the Numbers: 26.2 Miles in a Marathon. 140,000 Runners applied to run the 2013 Marathon. 50,000 Runners expected to cross the starting line. $196 Entry fee in 2013, compared to $1 entry fee 1970. 62,000 Gallons of Poland Spring Natural Water. 32,000 Gallons of Gatorade. 2,300,000 Paper Cups. $130,000 awarded to both the male and female winners. My Bold Prediction for Winner: Kenyan Mathew Kisorio (Marathon Debut)
Posted on: Sun, 03 Nov 2013 18:58:02 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015