Connected by a series of bridges and interlocking the five boroughs, the 26.2 miles that make up the annual TCS New York City Marathon are known all over the world for their difficulty and their diversity.
To honor the 45th running of the race, The Huffington Post spoke with dozens of past and present New York City marathoners about the most moving moments of their experiences: the miles and monuments they will never forget, the quilt of cultures that, as a whole, represents what multiple runners deemed the best day of their lives.
Below, a map of the marathon route tracks both the physical and the emotional journeys runners undertake on race day, plotting their memories mile-by-mile onto the locations at which they occurred. Scroll in, scroll out or click a red marker on the map below to learn about the experience from the runners themselves, living vicariously through their poignant recollections of Marathon Sunday.
Mile Zero at the Bridge: Stars and Stripes, Sinatra and Sneakers
Bari Melker, one-time NYCM runner: There’s great energy before [the race begins]. Everyone’s trying to pump each other up and stay warm … Even for such a big city and such a big marathon, when you’re standing there at the start, everyone really cares about the people around them.
Jennie Kelly, one-time NYCM runner: [Standing] with tens of thousands of people, shivering cold and nervous, listening to the national anthem -- it was emotional and motivational.
Katie Spear, one-time NYCM runner: The start was a lot more emotional than I thought it would be. I didn’t cry, but a lot of people around me were crying ... they do a really good job of pulling at your heartstrings. They fire the cannon and as soon as it starts, they play Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York” as everybody’s starting to move forward towards the bridge.
The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge: Get Ready, Get Set ... Walk.
Spear: You can’t start running immediately, it’s kind of a pack, it’s a little bottle-necked. You start walking, then jogging, then running. I remember I looked around and everybody was holding up their cell phones and taking videos -- a lot of people were in tears -- silent tears.
Adam Arthurs, one-time NYCM runner: There are just thousands and thousands of people, and everyone’s pretty pumped. I’m sure it’s never warm, but it was fucking freezing [in 2013]. It was like 20 degrees and windy … so you’re just standing there trying not to die of cold.
Jamie Mittelman, one-time NYCM runner: Going over the Verrazano Bridge, the wind was just howling, going 30 miles per hour. I remember just thinking, “Well, this is going to be a challenge today. This is Mile 1 and there are 30 mph winds, how am I going to feel at Mile 25, Mile 26?”
Miles 3 Through 12: Entering and Embracing Brooklyn
Natalie Azzoli, one-time NYCM runner: I was a mess the whole time. It was just so emotional … You turn the first corner [after the bridge], and there are all these posters and people screaming your name, and the waterworks start.
Di Marco: It’s a huge party. You have no idea [until you experience it] ... You don’t even feel like you’re running … Everybody cheers you on. You feel like a superstar. For one day, you feel like the most famous person in New York. They make you feel like you’re the star, because they keep screaming your name.