Exploring New York in 26.2 miles

The first Sunday of November starts early in New York. Over 55,000 runners make the commute by bus and ferry from across the region to Staten Island's Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge for the world’s largest marathon.

Truthfully, the marathon wasn’t on my mind at all when I booked this trip. I knew that I had a very short window and wanted to see as much of the city as one can reasonably see in about 36 hours so I did my usual pre-trip browse of YouTube travel vlogs for things that interested me (namely bookstores, cafes, and good places for photos). Travel photographer Roman Fox has a great video detailing recommended places for shooting if you only have three days to spend in the city that really framed a lot of my sightseeing. Most of those plans got thrown to the side when I saw runner and fitness vlogger Kris Hui posting about her marathon prep and sure enough the dates worked out that I would be on an Amtrak train to Penn Station the afternoon before the big race.

I covered the US Olympic marathon time trials for the 2020 Olympics in Atlanta (a week and a half before much of life in the US stopped because of the pandemic), so I had a feel for the type of run and gun approach that would allow me to cover as much ground as humanly possible. While the NYC marathon course was a much larger challenge than the route used in Atlanta, I had two crucial aids at my disposal: a spectator guide from New York Road Runners, the organization that runs the marathon, and the subway to get from point to point.

I carried a backpack but honestly it did little else than act as cup holders for waters and Gatorades throughout the day. My initial plans for the day involved trying to also hit up indie bookstores along the route but in retrospect that was an impossible task. The real star of the show was my Peak Design sling, which is the perfect size for carrying my Sony a6400 camera with a lens attached, an additional lens, and batteries without adding much heft.

Starting line

Bay Ridge, Brooklyn

My day started a little later than I initially wanted it to (7am) after a late night out shooting along Fifth Avenue from the Upper East Side to my hotel in Lower Manhattan. It was a crisp but perfectly clear morning over the city as I packed up my camera bag and headed out from 1 World Trade Center’s shadow into Brooklyn. 

Photography is thought by some to be a sport with training needed to sharpen your eye for the moments that matter most. Thankfully, it doesn't require a gym membership (though carrying all of your gear may necessitate one) but just a stroll down the block. In this case, it was a couple block walk to the Wall Street station where my eyes were already peeled.

As I mentioned in my earlier post on New York, the city felt like a cheat code for street photography with interesting subjects to shoot around every corner.

The subways were packed as apparently everyone had the same idea as me to head out on the marathon route as I made my way into Brooklyn with plenty of signs, bullhorns, and bells ready to cheer the mass of runners on. By the time I disembarked in the Bay Ridge neighborhood, there was a wall of sound and the energy was infectious.

Bay Ridge was a very strategic stop for me along Brooklyn's Fourth Avenue because it was blocks away from City League Coffee Roasters, a local shop that makes a mean flat white and happened to be right along the marathon route. I got some much needed fuel for the day ahead (including a focaccia flatbread from a lovely set of sisters).

Bay Ridge is a working class neighborhood that immediately pulls you in with its rough edges - fire escapes and local business galore. The crowd had a distinct energy to it - proudly raising flags from all corners of the world in what felt like defiance to the policies proposed and enacted by then-presidential candidate Donald Trump.

The party's here

Downtown Brooklyn

It was a relatively short trip to downtown Brooklyn where the party atmosphere reached a fever pitch near the Barclays Center. Getting there proved to be a little chaotic as the subways were teeming with people.

I haven't experienced a ticker tape parade but the pure joy is what I imagine the vibes on Fourth Avenue emulated. DJs blasted uptempo hits while noise makers and marching bands willed runners towards Williamsburg. There was even an impromptu dance party with a marching band.

In and Out

Williamsburg, Brooklyn

The one flaw in my plan was that the subways don't follow the marathon route and instead required multiple trips back into Manhattan to follow the route back. It did give me this nice view of the Brooklyn Bridge though so I guess it ended up being worth it.

Anyways, Williamsburg provided me a little reprieve from the bubble of the marathon to see New York for New York as I reset my course from my detour at Marcy Avenue.

I rallied back to the course in the shadow of the Williamsburg Bridge, where the midday light was at its peak and the signs were possibly at their most chronically online. Climbing onto the bridge was key to getting a birds eye view that I think gives a really nice perspective of the marathon's scale that you can't always get from street level.

Honestly, I accidentally committed to walking the Williamsburg but it gave me some nice views over both Williamsburg and the east side of Manhattan, including the iconic former Domino Sugar refinery, Empire State Building, and the Brooklyn Bridge.

It also showed the city as everyone's personal style runway as the exposed steel and elevated subway trains really contributed to the vibe that's uniquely New York as people strode across. There was also a peek at the orange windbreakers that are a symbol of victory for finishers that became an ubiquitous theme as the afternoon light began to fade.

Neighborly love

Long Island City, Queens

As day gradually faded to evening and the professional runners were long gone from the course, the grit of the marathon showed itself as the supporters section turned to New Yorkers supporting their neighbors in Long Island City.

Though the crowds began to thin from the peaks I expereinced in Williamsburg, you could definitely notice the impact on the runners as the quiet of the Pulaski Bridge gave way to the festive energy of Queens. There was more time to pick out isolated moments that warmed my heart behind the lens.

One last push

Columbus Circle, Manhattan

Morale was beginning to fade along with the afternoon light as I re-entered Manhattan one last time. I made the audible to not go into Harlem and head into midtown to get close to the finish line for the simple reason that I knew I needed to get back to my hotel, drop my bag, and head off to see Six.

I switched from the versatile 18-135 kit lens to my new nifty 50 f/1.8 (that shoots at 75mm on my Sony a6400) to keep the photos usable in low light (something that I've struggled lightly with in the past).

The most interesting shots I got in this moment were off the course since they blocked spectators from even getting close to the finish line in Central Park.I can anecdotally report that the crowd and the MCs were still bringing the energy after a full day on the course.

Overall, the marathon was such a cool way to see many parts of the city in one go (and Six comes very highly recommended by me)! If you're curious, here are my personal stats on the day:

• 32,261 steps taken (14.69 miles/23.64km)
• 856 images taken
• Shockingly only one coffee