Early Halloween morning,  October 31, around 4:30 am, my spouse Ed and I left our house for New York.

But before we left, I set out a bowl of candy on my front steps for the trick-or-treaters.  Hopefully, the teenagers did not steal the bowl of candy from the other trick-or-treaters. I live in a fairly young neighborhood.

My spouse thought I was crazy to set out a bowl of candy, but I didn’t want to disappoint the kids with a dark, no-candy house.

Since I wasn’t home, I thought the kids should still get candy, and I didn’t want to be that “cheap house: that offers no candy.

Outdoor bowl of candy it is.

We decided to fly into NewYork because it was easier for us.  It was a very easy flight.  We took an Uber to our hotel,  Crowne Plaza Midtown Manhattan. I liked this hotel because it was close to the running expo, near the red line (which I took to the Staten Island ferry on the morning of the marathon), and near the finish line.

We had a nice breakfast/early lunch at our hotel.  I had my favorite pancakes.   After we ate,  we walked to the Javits Convention Center for the expo. I picked up my bib number and a New York shirt, then we walked around to check out the vendors.

I wanted to see what the vendors were hawking and do all the Marathon things, like taking pictures, photo ops of the running decor, finding my name on the wall of runners, and getting freebies. It was crowded but fun.  There was also a bunch of running merchandise for sale too.

After the expo, I decided to familiarize myself with the New York MTA red line train transportation system for  Marathon Sunday. I wanted to make sure I knew how to get to the Staten Island ferry that takes me to the start line and how to get back to our hotel after I crossed the marathon finish line.

I also bought a Red Line fare pass to make the marathon day easier.

It was actually fairly easy to figure out the train system. I used only the Red Line, with no transfers to other colors.

For dinner, I kept it simple.   I had a Bagel and some carbohydrate bars. Then I laid out my running stuff and got ready for bed. Our room is close to the top floor, so it’s fairly quiet.

Marathon morning.

My race time is 11.30 am, and I am in wave 5, corral B, color pink.

I left my hotel around 7 am and took a very easy 5-minute walk to Penn Station.  I followed the herd of runners to the red line as we headed to the Staten Island Ferry station. My ferry time was at 8:15 am because I am in wave 5.

We boarded the ferry to Staten Island.  It was a nice boat ride. Our ferry even cruised right past the Statue of Liberty.

Once we arrived in Staten Island, runners took a 15-minute bus ride to Fort Wadsworth, the starting village for the 2026 New York City Marathon.

Around 11:00 a.m., I headed to my corral. Time to get excited, nervous, anxious, and feel it all as we stood at the start line of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge.

11:30 Am

The National Anthem played, the cannon fired, and then thousands of runners began their journey to Central Park.

We also heard Frank Sinatra’s New York, New York playing in the background.

Going into the race, I had a simple goal: have fun!  The NYC Marathon is like a massive party, and it lived up to its reputation! I know I’m lucky to be part of this incredible race, so I wanted to savor every moment.

The race starts on Staten Island; runners cross the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge into Brooklyn.

The first 2 miles are epic. The scenery from the Verrazano Bridge is beautiful.

The next 8 miles take runners through several parts of Brooklyn.   It is a fun, energetic, loud party young neighborhood.

Since I am no speedster, I danced to the music, high-fived countless people, and cheered and chatted with fellow runners. I am 57, and I don’t care about finish times. I am no youngster.  I want to remain injury-free.

Around miles 11-12, the route passes through the Hasidic Jewish neighborhood of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, primarily along Bedford Avenue toward Division Avenue. I actually love this part because it is known as the silent miles. The race is generally viewed as not meeting strict modesty standards within the Hasidic community because of the runners’ attire, so local community notices ask residents—especially children—to avoid Bedford Avenue during race hours.

I embraced the quiet.

Mile 13: Halfway there

The race then enters Queens. After another 2.5 miles, runners leave Queens.

Mile 15-16: This is the worst part of the course. Runners must travel through the ugliest section of the course, the Queensboro Bridge, to reach Manhattan. These 2 miles feel like they never end. I am tired, and there are no spectators. The views are horrible, and all I hear is runners pounding the pavement.  Yes, I dread this part.

In Manhattan, runners reach the 17-mile mark.

9 miles to go. The fans are back.

I thanked the volunteers, police officers, medical staff, and anyone else who makes this event possible.

Runners head toward the Bronx, then it’s back to Midtown.

It is now dark outside.  The city is quite beautiful at night.

Three more miles to go.  Just a 5k.

I saw one of the Team for Kids coaches on the side cheering.

She gave me good advice: follow the broken white Line (in the center of the road to Central Park.  Straight, straight, straight; follow the white center-street markings. Right foot, left foot, right foot, and so on…

Around 6:30 pm, I entered Central Park, saw the finish line, and felt like I was the best person in the world.

I enjoyed my own finish-line moment.

Best feeling in the world.

I got my medal and poncho.

And walked to the red line.

My hotel was just 5 Red Line train stops from the finish line!  Ed was waiting for me back at the hotel.

I am not a big eater or celebrator after a marathon.  My body cannot physically eat a real dinner because my digestive system shuts down.

This happens because my body diverts blood flow away from the gut to heal my working muscles.

I had a simple light running health bar and snuggled into bed to write this post.

I am tired

Good night, all,

I am pleased . for a 57 year older Bubbie 7hours 15 minutes