"Fun 5k through midtown and into Central Park. Has a great marathon-week vibe, with runners from all over the world warming up for the big day.

Packet pick-up at the Javits Center is a pain, especially given the marathon crowds, but understandable for those doing both. Coming from Bkln and

The Philly marathon was my first marathon! Prior to signing up I had heard a lot of good things about the Philadelphia marathon from people in my running club. They commented on the crowd support to the scenic course and boy did it live up to the hype! It was such

"Tips and Notes:
- you don't need to get there as early as they say
- mentally challenging to pass the halfway mark with others finishing - as with almost all half/full marathon races
- good crowd support in the beginning, a bit less on the second half
- work in hill training - not