The best in town! But I have to say that Chicago Marathon could do. Better job at their medals, com'on! This years was better, but they have pretty ugly finishing medals compared to my other events. On another note, it was nearly impossible to leave the gated area. All runners where

"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

I've raced Coogans several times. NYRR is a great organization and the logistics of their 5ks like Coogans is impressive. Washington Heights has a lot of culture to be enjoyed during the race. Ft Tyron Park and upper Manhattan is fairly hilly, so this is NOT like racing