Spectator Guide
The Best Ways to Watch on the Course
If you want to be a spectator at the ING New York City Marathon 2009, you'll have plenty of company: On November 1, more than two million people are expected to fill the sidewalks throughout the five boroughs.
Watching more than 40,000 runners snake through the city is a fun way to spend the day. You can create the experience you want. You can visit sponsored stations and zones with product giveaways and giant television screens showing the race, neighborhoods where crowds gather spontaneously, or cheering zones for runners raising money for charity groups. You can roam the city to catch the race from many locations, enjoy the passing parade from a restaurant seat, or even watch the entire event on your television or computer at home.
Here are the resources you need to create your own day of ING New York City Marathon viewing.
Watch it on television: Race coverage starts at 9:00 a.m. EST on WNBC Channel 4 in the New York viewing area and continues until 2:00 p.m. Nationally, the race will be broadcast on NBC from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. EST. Viewers can also watch online live at 9:00 a.m. on UniversalSports.com. [Broadcast Details]
Choose a spot for brunch or lunch: Choose one of the 26 restaurants recommended by ZAGAT.
Get around the course: First, look at the official course map; there are some course changes this year, so print this out even if you are a veteran marathon spectator. You'll want a MetroCard (consider an unlimited day pass if you plan on visiting many locations along the course); buy one using cash or a credit card at a station or from mta.info/metrocard; check the MTA maps page for a special marathon day subway map as well. Also, look at the weather forecast, dress appropriately, and carry beverages and snacks. Comfortable shoes are key; the medical tents on the course are for the blisters of marathon participants, not spectators. The same goes for the thousands of portable toilets on the course. There are also more than 100 bands are performing on the course are present to motivate the runners, but they are a boon to spectators as well.
Choose a borough or neighborhood:
Staten Island: This is the staging area for the start. On marathon day, it is difficult to get to and leave. There are few, if any, opportunities to see the race. If you're curious about the start, it's better to watch it on television.
Brooklyn: Ten miles of the race go through this borough. Take your pick of interesting neighborhoods and special event zones. For example:
Park Slope has a mix of residents and architecture: old and new, hip and conservative. At Fourth Avenue and 7th Street, Time Warner Cable will have video screens and access to the Race Day Tracker; enter your runner's official bib number and get an idea of where he or she is. The Brooklyn Academy of Music at Fourth Avenue and Lafayette Avenue is a popular place to view the marathon -- there's an ING Cheering Zone here. This is where the three different streams of runners merge and the lead pack often begins to break up.
Lafayette Avenue is lined with trees and traditional brownstones; lots of marathon-day stoop parties go on here. Between Miles 10 and 11 on Bedford Avenue, the course goes through the Satmar Hassidic community before heading into hip and happening Williamsburg. Consider McCarren Park as a viewing spot: It's tree-lined and attracts a lot of spectators. The last neighborhood in Brooklyn, Greenpoint, is predominantly Polish with store signs and foods to match.
Queens: There will be a neighborhood cheering zone at 44th Drive near Court Square and an ING Cheering Zone on 44th Drive between 11th and 21st where there will be poms-poms, sunglasses, and other giveaways.
Manhattan, East Side, First Avenue: First Avenue might be the craziest, most crowded place to watch the race -- the sidewalks can be packed more than eight people deep. The runners are 16 miles into their race at this point and appreciate the roar of the crowd as they come off the Queensboro Bridge. At First Avenue and 59th Street, Food Emporium will be sampling food and beverages from Emerald Nuts, New York Apple, and Poland Spring, while Clear Channel Radio will have a DJ playing tunes. There's a cheering zone for runners raising funds for Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Hospital at 67th Street and a Time Warner Cable Cheer Zone at 83rd. Farther up First Avenue, at 96th Street, you can be part of the T-Mobile Thumbathon and race against other "thumbs" to see who texts the fastest for a chance to win a Blackberry. At 119th Street and First Avenue, BP will set up an Invigorate Station with giveaways and photo opportunities.Watch the elite runners make a move here; some great runners have pulled away -- or been dropped -- on First Avenue.
The East Side is one of the best places to see runners twice: You can see them run up First Avenue, then walk west and see the runners on Central Park South or, if you're farther north, on Fifth Avenue above 90th Street.
Bronx: At Mile 20 of the marathon, runners often struggle to find energy and the residents here are famous for supporting participants with signs and cheers. A new neighborhood zone at the triangle made by 148th, Third, and Morris Avenues will be the focus this year. At 135th and Alexander Avenue, join the block party sponsored by the philanthropic Robin Hood Foundation, complete with music and a huge video screen.
Harlem: On race day, the sidewalks on Fifth Avenue between 135th Street and 110th Street are filled with people coming from church, going to brunch, and cheering for runners. Some gospel bands play live on the course (look at 135th, 125, and 117 streets). Marcus Garvey Park, between 120th and 124th Streets, is a leafy respite with bleachers set up for spectators. Plus, use the Discover Harlem coupon for discounts at merchants all over Harlem.
Manhattan, East Side, Fifth Avenue: Just north of 90th Street you'll find the cheering zone for Fred's Team, the charity that raises money for cancer research in honor of Fred Lebow, founder of the New York City Marathon. Emerald Nuts is marking Mile 21.2 with their Final Five sampling and interactive photo opportunity for spectators. The runners stay on Fifth Avenue and run along Central Park until 90th Street, where they turn in.
Central Park: Central Park is an ideal place to watch the race; just be aware that moving around the park can be difficult on race day. Good spots include: East Park Drive between 90th and 86th Streets; Park Drive below 72nd is often more crowded. You can cross the park on either the 85th Street or 65th Street transverse roads. You cannot cross Park Drive, but you can go under it: Try the arches at 80th Street, 73rd Street, 67th Street, and 62nd Street.
Central Park South: This part of the course can be crowded; spectators might find it easier to access the south side of the street than the north side. Look for Continental Airline's entertainment zone at Columbus Circle, where the course turns into the park for the final time. Street teams will also be handing out Emerald Nuts on Central Park South.
Finish line: There are bleachers for the last few hundred meters of the race; tickets for the bleachers are sold here. Or, enjoy the finish line banquet. And don't forget to celebrate your runner's achievement with a gift from our Honor Your Marathoner collection. Select the perfect gift for your runner from Tiffany & Co., Italian Wine Merchants and ProFlowers.
