50 @ 50 – Things You Never Knew About the TCS New York City Marathon – a look back…

2021 was a landmark year for the iconic New York City Marathon. It celebrated its 50th edition on the streets of New York. This landmark event was the perfect festival of running albeit for some international runners they, unfortunately, were not able to participate due to Covid-19 restrictions put in place by the US Government. However, in 2022, we expect to be able to enable our customers to attend this unique race and once again deliver experiences of a lifetime for our runners. Until then, let’s take a look back at some of the highlights of this fantastic major marathon!

Over the years, many weird, wonderful, and often awe-inspiring things have happened at the New York City Marathon. Doubtless, the 50th edition was no exception to that rule. So, to get you in the mood for some incredible milestone moments, here’s our list of 50 fun facts for the New York Marathon!

TCS NYC Marathon 50 Facts @ 50

The inaugural edition of the race, held in 1970, was held entirely in Manhattan and consisted of runners completing four laps of Central Park.
In 1970, only 127 runners took on the course, most of whom knew each other by name.
Of those 127, only 55 were to make it to the finish line.
That first race was also held on a very tight budget, with the entire event costing just $1000 USD
The entry fee for runners, back in 1970, was just $1.
The race always features the odd famous face. Some of the most familiar faces to take on the challenge are; Alanis Morissette, Ed Norton, Pamela Anderson, Ryan Reynolds, Katie Holmes, and Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston.
The highest elevation on the course comes when runners pass over the Verrazano- Narrows Bridge. At just 3/4 of a mile into the course, this long drag can trick even the most seasoned of runners. In New York, it is important to run a tactical race, and not use up your fresh legs in the first miles!
Brooklyn is the flattest of the five boroughs. This makes the Brooklyn segment of the race the fastest for many runners.
In 1986, Vietnam veteran, and endurance sports hero, Bob Wieland completed the NYC Marathon in 98 hours, and over a period of 4 days. As a double amputee, this feat made him the first person to complete a marathon by walking on his hands. . He is also the only double amputee to finish the difficult Kona, Hawaii Ironman race without a wheelchair.
The race crossed 5 bridges and passes through all 5 New York City boroughs.
Rescued Chilean Miner, Edison Pena, finished the 2010 NYC Marathon in 5 hrs 40 mins, just months after spending 2 months confined underground.
The race makes up one of the six Abbott World Marathon Majors. The other 5 are London, Chicago, Tokyo, Berlin and Boston.
Grete Waitz of Norway won 9 New York City Marathon Titles between 1978 and ’88 making her the most decorated athlete in New York City Marathon history. Having also won 2 London Marathon titles, and the Marathon World Championships in 1983, Waitz is also the most decorated athlete of all time in terms of marathon majors.
Only 1 woman took part in the 1970 NYC marathon, and sadly she did not finish. Things have however improved significantly with women now making up over 40% of the field.
Perhaps proof that things get better with age, the average age of runners in the NYC marathon is rising, and is, as of 2019, over 40 (40.6).
Almost 15,000 bananas are used to help runners through the final few miles of their marathon (at miles 20 and 23).
The NYC Marathon is currently the World’s biggest, with a staggering 53,638 finishers in 2019.
American rapper, Sean Combs (aka Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, Puffy, or Diddy) raised over 2 million dollars for charity when he raced in 2003. He finished in a very respectable 4:14:54.
Tiffany and Co., the famous New York jewellers, make the trophies for the male and female overall marathon winners.
The winner of the first NYC Marathon was Gary Muhrcke. The former New York firefighter almost didn’t race, having been suffering from a leg injury and just finishing a night shift in Queens. “I only signed up 15 minutes before the race started,” Muhrcke claims. He took victory in 2:31:39 and is still a keen runner today!
The current course record is 2:05:06, set by Kenya’s Geoffrey Mutai in 2011.
The current women’s record for the course is 2:22:31, set by Kenyan Margaret Okayo in 2003.
The average finish time in 2019 was 4:38:00, with the average for men being 4:23:47, and for women 4:52:15.
In 1971, the New York City Marathon had its first female winner. Her name was Beth Bonner. Her time of 2:55:22 is believed by many to be the first valid, sub 3-hour marathon performance by a woman.
The race route has changed a lot from its Central Park beginnings and, although it still ends in Central Park, now sets out from Staten Island, before traversing all 5 New York City boroughs.
The New York City Marathon has NO OFFICIAL CUT OFF TIME and, as such, is a firm favourite for first-time marathoners. Sweeper buses do however follow the marathon, at an approximate 15-minute mile pace and runners slower than this are asked to complete their marathon on the pavement, to allow for the reopening of the roads.
The New York Marathon can be truly life-changing. In 1993 a wedding ceremony was held, between 2 runners, at mile 8.
In 1994, Mexican runner, and eventual winner German Silva, took a wrong turn in Central Park, less than a mile from the finish. As a result, he was briefly overtaken by compatriot Benjamín Paredes. However, he ran a 5:15 final mile to reclaim the lead, take the title, and earn himself the epithet ‘Wrong Turn Silva’.
In Brooklyn, the marching band from Bishop Loughlin High School, play the Rocky Theme Tune ‘Gonna Fly Now’, over and over, to motivate runners, until every single one has passed through.
32,000 Gallons of Gatorade and 62,000 gallons of water, are used to keep runners hydrated as they run.
Over 50,000 lbs of discarded clothing (dumped by runners in the first few miles) is donated after the race.
In 2019 runners came from 141 countries to run in the world’s biggest marathon in New York.
Over 2.5 million spectators line the streets, to cheer the runners on, on marathon day.
The marathon is the most followed with more people tracking online than any other, and over 300 million spectators watching on TV!
In 2006, when Dean Karnazes embarked on his 50:50:50 challenge (50 marathons, in 50 states, in 50 days; he started with the Lewis and Clark Marathon in St. Louis, and finished, of course, with the New York City Marathon.
In 1977, 8-year-old Wesley Paul of Columbia became the youngest ever finisher of the NYC marathon, finishing in a time of 3:00:37. The minimum age has subsequently been raised to 18.
But there is no maximum age on the race, and in 2019, the oldest runner in the field was 89-year-old Rosalie Ames of the USA.
The founder of the New York City Marathon was from Transylvania. Fred Lebow (born Fischl Lebowitz), fled from Romania, with his Jewish family, after surviving the Nazi occupation of the country. Lebow spent time in Czechoslovakia, the Netherlands, and Ireland, before finally settling in the United States in the early ’60s.
Lebow, a keen tennis player, had never intended on founding a marathon. He had started running to improve his tennis endurance and, as is often the case, go hooked on the sport.
Lebow ran his final marathon in 1992. He ran at New York to celebrate his sixtieth birthday, despite having been diagnosed with cancer several months previously. His friend and New York Marathon heroine, Grete Waitz ran every step of the race with him, crossing the line in 5:32:35.
In 2019 NYC Marathon runners raised over $40 million for various charities.
The New York Marathon features a unique finishers medal each year, and you can see every single one, on display at the NYRR run centre, while you are in New York.
In 2017 when famous comedian Kevin Hart ran the NYC Marathon, another man, also called Kevin Hart, who had his listed hometown as Hollywood FL, became the most tracked runner in marathon history, as a result of mistaken identity.
The last time an American won the NYC Marathon was in 2017, when Shalane Flanagan managed to finish 1 minute ahead of firm favourite, and four-time New York Marathon Champion, Mary Keitany, in a time of 2:26:53.
The last American man to win was, Eritrean-born, Meb Keflezighi, who ran a time of 2:09:15 to become the first American victor since 1982. In 2014 he also became the most recent American winner of the Boston Marathon in over 30 years, with the last home win coming in 1983.
On average, runners training for the New York Marathon, run 34 miles per week, to prepare for the race.
In 2001, the New York City Marathon was held just 9 weeks after the attack on the Twin Towers. Clifford Chanin described that year’s marathon as; “the most powerful moment of collective solidarity”. The 2001 New York City Marathon adopted the phrase, ‘United We Run’.
The biggest marathon event in the USA, the New York City Marathon accounts for 10% of all marathon finishers in the USA each year.
Sports Tours International founder Vince Regan first ran the New York Marathon way back in 1980, in a time of 2:51:39, that years race was won by Alberto Salazar in 2:09:41
Sports Tours International then became the first to offer tailored packages for runners to participate in the New York City Marathon.

Have you had a life-changing experience at, or do you have an interesting story from, the New York City Marathon? Let us know in the comments below!

TCS NYC Marathon 50 Facts @ 50

The inaugural edition of the race, held in 1970, was held entirely in Manhattan and consisted of runners completing four laps of Central Park.
In 1970, only 127 runners took on the course, most of whom knew each other by name.
Of those 127, only 55 were to make it to the finish line.
That first race was also held on a very tight budget, with the entire event costing just $1000 USD
The entry fee for runners, back in 1970, was just $1.
The race always features the odd famous face. Some of the most familiar faces to take on the challenge are; Alanis Morissette, Ed Norton, Pamela Anderson, Ryan Reynolds, Katie Holmes, and Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston.
The highest elevation on the course comes when runners pass over the Verrazano- Narrows Bridge. At just 3/4 of a mile into the course, this long drag can trick even the most seasoned of runners. In New York, it is important to run a tactical race, and not use up your fresh legs in the first miles!
Brooklyn is the flattest of the five boroughs. This makes the Brooklyn segment of the race the fastest for many runners.
In 1986, Vietnam veteran, and endurance sports hero, Bob Wieland completed the NYC Marathon in 98 hours, and over a period of 4 days. As a double amputee, this feat made him the first person to complete a marathon by walking on his hands. . He is also the only double amputee to finish the difficult Kona, Hawaii Ironman race without a wheelchair.
The race crossed 5 bridges and passes through all 5 New York City boroughs.
Rescued Chilean Miner, Edison Pena, finished the 2010 NYC Marathon in 5 hrs 40 mins, just months after spending 2 months confined underground.
The race makes up one of the six Abbott World Marathon Majors. The other 5 are London, Chicago, Tokyo, Berlin and Boston.
Grete Waitz of Norway won 9 New York City Marathon Titles between 1978 and ’88 making her the most decorated athlete in New York City Marathon history. Having also won 2 London Marathon titles, and the Marathon World Championships in 1983, Waitz is also the most decorated athlete of all time in terms of marathon majors.
Only 1 woman took part in the 1970 NYC marathon, and sadly she did not finish. Things have however improved significantly with women now making up over 40% of the field.
Perhaps proof that things get better with age, the average age of runners in the NYC marathon is rising, and is, as of 2019, over 40 (40.6).
Almost 15,000 bananas are used to help runners through the final few miles of their marathon (at miles 20 and 23).
The NYC Marathon is currently the World’s biggest, with a staggering 53,638 finishers in 2019.
American rapper, Sean Combs (aka Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, Puffy, or Diddy) raised over 2 million dollars for charity when he raced in 2003. He finished in a very respectable 4:14:54.
Tiffany and Co., the famous New York jewellers, make the trophies for the male and female overall marathon winners.
The winner of the first NYC Marathon was Gary Muhrcke. The former New York firefighter almost didn’t race, having been suffering from a leg injury and just finishing a night shift in Queens. “I only signed up 15 minutes before the race started,” Muhrcke claims. He took victory in 2:31:39 and is still a keen runner today!
The current course record is 2:05:06, set by Kenya’s Geoffrey Mutai in 2011.
The current women’s record for the course is 2:22:31, set by Kenyan Margaret Okayo in 2003.
The average finish time in 2019 was 4:38:00, with the average for men being 4:23:47, and for women 4:52:15.
In 1971, the New York City Marathon had its first female winner. Her name was Beth Bonner. Her time of 2:55:22 is believed by many to be the first valid, sub 3-hour marathon performance by a woman.
The race route has changed a lot from its Central Park beginnings and, although it still ends in Central Park, now sets out from Staten Island, before traversing all 5 New York City boroughs.
The New York City Marathon has NO OFFICIAL CUT OFF TIME and, as such, is a firm favourite for first-time marathoners. Sweeper buses do however follow the marathon, at an approximate 15-minute mile pace and runners slower than this are asked to complete their marathon on the pavement, to allow for the reopening of the roads.
The New York Marathon can be truly life-changing. In 1993 a wedding ceremony was held, between 2 runners, at mile 8.
In 1994, Mexican runner, and eventual winner German Silva, took a wrong turn in Central Park, less than a mile from the finish. As a result, he was briefly overtaken by compatriot Benjamín Paredes. However, he ran a 5:15 final mile to reclaim the lead, take the title, and earn himself the epithet ‘Wrong Turn Silva’.
In Brooklyn, the marching band from Bishop Loughlin High School, play the Rocky Theme Tune ‘Gonna Fly Now’, over and over, to motivate runners, until every single one has passed through.
32,000 Gallons of Gatorade and 62,000 gallons of water, are used to keep runners hydrated as they run.
Over 50,000 lbs of discarded clothing (dumped by runners in the first few miles) is donated after the race.
In 2019 runners came from 141 countries to run in the world’s biggest marathon in New York.
Over 2.5 million spectators line the streets, to cheer the runners on, on marathon day.
The marathon is the most followed with more people tracking online than any other, and over 300 million spectators watching on TV!
In 2006, when Dean Karnazes embarked on his 50:50:50 challenge (50 marathons, in 50 states, in 50 days; he started with the Lewis and Clark Marathon in St. Louis, and finished, of course, with the New York City Marathon.
In 1977, 8-year-old Wesley Paul of Columbia became the youngest ever finisher of the NYC marathon, finishing in a time of 3:00:37. The minimum age has subsequently been raised to 18.
But there is no maximum age on the race, and in 2019, the oldest runner in the field was 89-year-old Rosalie Ames of the USA.
The founder of the New York City Marathon was from Transylvania. Fred Lebow (born Fischl Lebowitz), fled from Romania, with his Jewish family, after surviving the Nazi occupation of the country. Lebow spent time in Czechoslovakia, the Netherlands, and Ireland, before finally settling in the United States in the early ’60s.
Lebow, a keen tennis player, had never intended on founding a marathon. He had started running to improve his tennis endurance and, as is often the case, go hooked on the sport.
Lebow ran his final marathon in 1992. He ran at New York to celebrate his sixtieth birthday, despite having been diagnosed with cancer several months previously. His friend and New York Marathon heroine, Grete Waitz ran every step of the race with him, crossing the line in 5:32:35.
In 2019 NYC Marathon runners raised over $40 million for various charities.
The New York Marathon features a unique finishers medal each year, and you can see every single one, on display at the NYRR run centre, while you are in New York.
In 2017 when famous comedian Kevin Hart ran the NYC Marathon, another man, also called Kevin Hart, who had his listed hometown as Hollywood FL, became the most tracked runner in marathon history, as a result of mistaken identity.
The last time an American won the NYC Marathon was in 2017, when Shalane Flanagan managed to finish 1 minute ahead of firm favourite, and four-time New York Marathon Champion, Mary Keitany, in a time of 2:26:53.
The last American man to win was, Eritrean-born, Meb Keflezighi, who ran a time of 2:09:15 to become the first American victor since 1982. In 2014 he also became the most recent American winner of the Boston Marathon in over 30 years, with the last home win coming in 1983.
On average, runners training for the New York Marathon, run 34 miles per week, to prepare for the race.
In 2001, the New York City Marathon was held just 9 weeks after the attack on the Twin Towers. Clifford Chanin described that year’s marathon as; “the most powerful moment of collective solidarity”. The 2001 New York City Marathon adopted the phrase, ‘United We Run’.
The biggest marathon event in the USA, the New York City Marathon accounts for 10% of all marathon finishers in the USA each year.
Sports Tours International founder Vince Regan first ran the New York Marathon way back in 1980, in a time of 2:51:39, that years race was won by Alberto Salazar in 2:09:41
Sports Tours International then became the first to offer tailored packages for runners to participate in the New York City Marathon.

Have you had a life-changing experience at, or do you have an interesting story from, the New York City Marathon? Let us know in the comments below!

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50 @ 50 – Things You Never Knew About the TCS New York City Marathon – a look back…

TCS NYC Marathon 50 Facts @ 50

TCS NYC Marathon 50 Facts @ 50

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