Race Reviews

Hp's review of 2024 race.   

Review

For the most part, this was a very well run marathon. The volunteers and organization is a well oiled machine. That said, you were only allowed to board the buses to Hopkinton based on for your wave. So although I got to the buses quite early I had to board along with the rest of the runners in my wave. Our bus got off the freeway, and continue to follow the other buses to Hopkinton. At some point, one of the buses took a wrong turn and our bus along with several others follow them. It took about 20 minutes to get us back on route and by the time we got off the bus there was no extra time to go to the bathroom and we had to run to the line. We ended up running over a half mile to the start and it was our time to start the race. Incredibly stressful and frustrating. I wish the race allowed for more of a cushion so that if there Any sort of snafu runners would still have the opportunity to use the bathroom at the very least. After spending four years and a lot of money to get to this place, I was surprised at the oversight.

Race Tips

Because the race doesn't allow the runners to arrive at athletes Village before their wave, I'm not sure what a runner could do to prevent this. I'm disappointed that the race didn't have some sort of way to ensure the buses were going the right way.

Logistical Tips (Hotels, Restaurants, Parking, Discounts, etc.)

The bus ride is long so I would definitely use the bathrooms in Boston before boarding.

AVGS's review of 2024 race.   

Review

Not sure what happened, but the organization was off this year. Beginning with the expo, long lines for literally everything. Spent likely 20 minutes standing in line just to my bib. Have not seen that before. Expo was an absolute madhouse - could be due to the timing (not long after doors opened on Friday) - but people were literally shoving each other to get through the Adidas area. Not an enjoyable experience as in years past.

Bag drop is close to the finish, but a decent walk from the bus loading area. As mentioned, this is strictly for post-race as anything you take to Hopkinton will be left there (or on the course). Left my phone in my bag, which many folks do. Appeared to be only one entry into the bus area, which was on the north side of the Common (Beacon and Charles). This made for a bit of a mob scene getting through to the bus loading area in addition to a bit of a walk. I feel like there were more entry points in the past, but not sure. Good idea to use the bathroom here as opposed to post-bus ride, because you just don’t know how long it will take to get and there or how long the lines will be in the Village.

Waited in a very long line to board the bus. Have not seen that before either. Lengthy bus ride, maybe 40 minutes? Very nearly missed my start wave. Our bus also got semi-lost and dropped us off a ways away from Athlete's Village. We appeared to be headed further away and had to ask the driver to let us off. Again, lengthy walk to start area, which had me over 2 miles total before the race even started.

After that, all good. On course race support and volunteers were excellent. Crowd support was intense this year - perhaps more so because it was sunny and warm! Post-race support was excellent as well. Not too difficult to get to my bag and exit the area. I had somewhere to be, so I walked several blocks away and grabbed an Uber, which was quick and easy.

Random gripe: the legendary finisher's medal was cheap compared to recent years and "Bank of America" was etched right on the front. Unnecessary and off-brand for this race, which will outlive Bank of America. Everyone knows they took over this year, it need not be memorialized in the medal, which is about the achievement, not the sponsor. Fix that next year please.

Race Tips

No one likes a headwind, but the slight tailwind coupled with warm temps presented their own challenge. Most folks I've talked to had the same experience: full-on dripping with sweat by 4 miles. I required significantly more fluid than normal, but there are plenty of lengthy aid stations with ample room to get one or two drinks and keep pace. There is zero shade on the course, but there were numerous volunteers with sunscreen at the start area.

Boston is a big deal for nearly everyone out there. Accordingly, fellow runners can seem very self-involved. The majority are hyper-focused on the task at hand and that can be off-putting to first-timers who may be used to a more communal atmosphere. The B.A.A. volunteers are phenomenal, however, and this more than makes up for it. All seem genuinely excited for you and are eager to assist with anything. One upside of challenging conditions is connections made with other runners. Folks engage more with their comrades when the going gets tough and PR is off the table.

Logistical Tips (Hotels, Restaurants, Parking, Discounts, etc.)

Try to book early to get the best rates, $500/night is about the best you can expect for a hotel in the areas you want to be. Parking, etc will add cost. The lines and logistical challenges this year added mileage and time, but, more importantly, made race day very stressful. Stay close to the start area to reduce the number of variables (and pre-race walking). Don't go to the expo right when it opens. Do find a club/store/company for a group shakeout on Saturday or Sunday. Book your Sunday night Italian feast in the North End early. Dozens of excellent places, but also 25,000 folks with friends and family looking to do the same thing. I'd say show up on Saturday and leave Tuesday.

DEL's review of 2022 race.   

Review

The energy throughout the entire weekend is incredible. Everyone in the city is excited - runners and fans alike. Lots of lodging options - all very expensive, so factor that in. If possible, just make a weekend out of it, see a bunch of sights, and amortize the cost as a much-needed vacation.

Race Tips

You will see comments about the crowded start - which actually lasts about 10K. Honestly not much of an issue because you're moving with a pretty fast crowd (unlike other races where you may have to pick your way through for a while until you can set your own pace). Not a quad-smashing downhill like some of the western races, but enough to make you feel like a hero through 16 miles. The hills aren't as bad as people say, but they aren't insignificant either. IMO, Heartbreak is not actually the worst hill. You'll wanna hit the gas coming off HB - and you can for while, but then it gets into very slight rollers that are enough to prevent you from feeling too comfortable and gunning it in for the last 5. Unless you get paid to run - and happen to be winning the race - don't get too fixated on pace as your come into Brookline and Boston. Keep your head up, enjoy the crowds, soak it in - particularly as you make the turns onto Hereford and Boyleston. Intense and the high church of amateur running.

Logistical Tips (Hotels, Restaurants, Parking, Discounts, etc.)

Recommend staying near Boston Common - close to bus loading and finish. Bag Check is there, but is of limited utility because anything you take on the bus (to Hopkinton) will not be returned. So, check your bag with whatever non-valuables you want immediately post-race, if you plan to celebrate in the area (which you should do).

Jenn's review of 2022 race.   

Review

26.2 mile block party with amazing crowd support! Aid stations were on point (Maurten and water and Gatorade)!

Watch the train tracks - saw a women go down hard.

The corrals were very crowed and the first mile was soooooo stressful.

Race Tips

Don't go out too fast and train for those Newton Hills - they are to be respected!

Logistical Tips (Hotels, Restaurants, Parking, Discounts, etc.)

Carlos J. Gueiros's review of 2021 race.   

Review

`2021 was my first Borathon, with a PR! I trained accordingly, giving importance to hills and on top of that, racing after after running hills. I was able to control my pace on the first 30k and by the time the Newton Hills arrived, that's where the party started. And as soon as you finish them, it's a miler countdown to glory. Staff was impecable, Expo and pre/post race events very well organized. It wasn't very cold (some bad reviews from 2018 are weather-related) and he rolling start was the best thing they could do, for Covid Safety and waiting times. According to your bib, elitle, red, white, blue.. you had a certain time to pick the bus and, for me, I was still at the bus (9:15am) when elite was already racing. I just had to approach the starting line and start running whenever I wanted. No aglomerations at all!

Race Tips

Save energy untl the uphills start, cheer with the crowd on the hardest moments and have a good supplementation strategy (carbs and water). Boston started a partnership with Gu, so there's also gel during the corse.

Logistical Tips (Hotels, Restaurants, Parking, Discounts, etc.)

Boston restaurant week to eat your pasta/carb on the days before the race. Bring a jacket (in some cases pants) before race start, to donate. Masks were giving before loading the bus and being discarted before race start. A new mask was given after the finish. Since the organization provide buses that take you to the start, you can meet whoever you want at the family area near the finish line, or even at the closest metro station besides Copley that is the one that closes on rac day. Have some snacks for the raceday as well to eat before the race starts, according to your strategy, so you don't start in fasting.

Doctor Nappy's review of 2022 race.   

Review

Lots of people apparently love the crowd support on this course, but I didn't care about it one way or another (I run all my miles alone at home, so I really don't need a crowd to propel me during a race) and it certainly wasn't enough to overcome some huge drawbacks.

I realize that routing 50,000 runners through one of the world's biggest and busiest cities presents some enormous logistical challenges, but the race directors really didn't overcome those challenges too well, in my opinion. Beginning with transportation to the starting line, all the way out of Manhattan on Staten Island, the website and email communication never outlined well the options, their advantages and drawbacks, and the means necessary to execute those plans. Runners were encouraged to choose a means of transportation - bus or ferry - and a time, and that was it. What TIME should I choose for the ferry? Who knows, especially since I hadn't received my corral assignment or my straying time yet when I made that choice? How does one who has never been in NYC get to the ferry, and what impact do those considerations have on where to stay in the city? Who knows?

Fortunately, I managed to figure most of that out or lucked into some good guesses but on race day, once we got off the ferry, the runners' troubles and confusion had just begun. Supposedly a simple bus trip awaited us after the ferry to shuttle us to the starting village, but no, not by a long shot. With no direction or queuing instructions, no one guiding foot traffic and no ropes or flags pointing out where to line up, we stood, shoulder to shoulder in a throng, some for (including me) for well over 90 minutes, less than 50 feet from the buses as they came and went, while the chaos built and the luck of the draw of where the next bus stopped and simple aggression determined which person or group got on next. Those who had run the race previously said this was unlike previous years, but someone somewhere apparently missed the memo, because the whole affair could not have been more poorly organized and it's lucky no one got hurt or trampled.

Once we finally made the starting village, which fortunately featured plenty of room for relaxing (finally!), stretching, and preparation, along with ample toilet facilities, I found communication about timing of corral entry and other details sorely lacking. Sparse signage and very few PA announcements out me in grave danger of being closed out of my corral.

Having just barely made the corral, I managed to start on time (super late for a marathon, by the way, in case you are considering this as a future race—waves begin around 9:00 and continue for a few hours after - so biorhythms and warm weather be damned, you are running into the afternoon), I found the race itself frustrating. Though I ran slower than I had estimated because of the unseasonably warm and humid weather, I passed infinity other runners along the course. This was especially challenging and frustrating on the narrow streets and rolling hills of Brooklyn, and it continued almost until the end of the race? How would this be possible if waves and corrals were organized by pace? One might argue that I simply encountered others also going slowly because of the conditions, but no. Many of these folks were clearly older, less fit, or otherwise clearly not capable of keeping a pace consistent with the wave they were assigned. Again, this suggests to me poor organization on the part of the race planners. More than that, perhaps because of the crowds and sheer volume of runners, I found this race much more riddled with people who walked or stopped abruptly in the middle of the road than any other I have run. Maybe these are just casual running "tourists," who don't know the unwritten rules or marathoning?

Finally, I found the finish support and exit procedures cumbersome and subpar. No chocolate milk? No bananas? No carbs beyond a small bag of pretzels? No cold drinks at all except water? Top it all off with a nearly one-mile walk to the bag check (don't get me started on the lack of bag check at the starting line and the need to check finishing gear a day or two ahead of time at the finish line in Central Park), and it felt like a trudge, not a celebration, after a long run.

As to "running all five burroughs?" Meh. I know it's very difficult to pull it off in a city that size, but maybe they shouldn't even try. You really don't see anything of Queen, The Bronx, or Staten Island. Your time in each is passing and perfunctory. The race is basically all Brooklyn and Manhattan.

Race Tips

Start planning your trip to the starting line a long time in advance and don't rely on the race itself to give you meaningful guidance on this. Check other websites or YouTube videos for practical advice.

Logistical Tips (Hotels, Restaurants, Parking, Discounts, etc.)

ASC's review of 2018 race.   

Review

The marathon was well organized. Plenty of security, water stops and people cheering. Didn't like the long walk to exit Central Park but its for the runners security.

Race Tips

Hold back for the first few miles. Going out to fast will end up burning you out. The Queensboro Bridge is a tough climb. Once on first Avenue it's amazing with the crowd cheering. You are a rock star for a day.

Logistical Tips (Hotels, Restaurants, Parking, Discounts, etc.)

The Ferry is the best way to get there.

ML's review of 2018 race.   

Review

Being from Chicago, I didn't want to like NYC but NYRR really do put on a great race! The spectators were great and were out in full force. There were maybe 3 spots on the entire course where there weren't any spectators, 2 of them being bridges. The hills were just always there, nothing major but just rolling nearly the entire way and you don't really notice them until the last 5-10k.

Race Tips

Be patient in the first half, its easy to let the spectators pump you up but really try and be conservative in the first half. The rolling hills sap your legs and you'll feel it that last 10k.

Logistical Tips (Hotels, Restaurants, Parking, Discounts, etc.)

Stayed at the Marriot Vacation Club - Pulse. Had a great view of the Empire State Building, super close to the expo and the Midtown Library pickup. The hotel had bagels, fruit, water, and Gatorade for guests the morning of the race.

Jt's review of 2018 race.   

Review

Race Tips

Logistical Tips (Hotels, Restaurants, Parking, Discounts, etc.)

L's review of 2018 race.   

Review

I was really excited to run this marathon. After applying for the lottery 4 years in a row, I finally got in and the hype was huge! Unfortunately, it wasn't as great as I thought it would be. There were crowds in some places, but not all along the course like Boston. The expo was okay, but not nearly as big as Boston or LA and CRAZY EXPENSIVE in comparison too. When you crossed the finish line it was a solid 10 minutes before you got just 1 bottle of water (the only one they give you) and you have to walk a mile before getting your poncho and to get to the family meeting area. Honestly after the bad racing experience I had, these things made it so much worse. This is my 10th marathon on 9 different courses and only the second one I've said I definitely wouldn't want to run again. It's just too expensive and way too much extra work for too little return.

Race Tips

I was warned that the bridges make it a hilly experience, but I didn't expect my quads to completely cramp up at mile 16-17, making the rest of the race a literal uphill battle. By the time I made it to Central Park, I was barely able to enjoy the beautiful fall foliage because I could barely bend my legs. Even if you love downhills like I do, I would advise you to go out extra slow especially on the first big downhill over the bridge because it will kill you later on. Besides that first hill being a little fast, I stuck to my racing strategy, not going out too fast and still completely died despite having really solid training runs at faster paces on hills that I thought were similar though not as long. Don't listen to those who tell you to bank time because of the hills in Central Park, it's not worth the pain!

Logistical Tips (Hotels, Restaurants, Parking, Discounts, etc.)

I stayed at a pretty conveniently located hotel just outside of Times Square, but it still took almost 4 hours to get from there to the starting line on race morning. They had barely any restrooms en route because the lines at the ferry terminal were too long to wait in and we waited in the line for the busses after the ferry for 45 minutes with no bathrooms whatsoever, and we were on the busses for 30-45 minutes after that. I just barely made it to my corral on time because they close them 20 minutes prior to when your waive starts without making any announcements until right before.

Stay as close to the finish line as possible because they make you walk a really long way in Central Park and we got completely screwed by a pedicab getting back to the hotel when it was the only means of transit we could find.

Getting to the city, we parked at the Harbor Point Garage at the Stamford, CT Metro North Train stop and it was pretty convenient and only $12 for every 24 hours. The train ride from there was about an hour to Grand Central.