Boston or New York
+3
Michele "1L" Keane
Jerry
mountandog
7 posters
Page 1 of 1
Boston or New York
Looking for your opinions, especially from those who have run both. Assuming equivalent weather, which course is easier and likely to lead to a PR? I only have experience at Boston and am considering NY and if I sign up, I want to get a sense of how hard to train. If I don't have a shot at a PR in NY then I might back off a bit and enjoy the ride.
Boston or NY?
Boston or NY?
mountandog- Explaining To Spouse
- Posts : 1398
Points : 7876
Join date : 2011-07-14
Age : 67
Location : Michigan
Re: Boston or New York
New York 2008: 3:32:59
Boston 2009: 3:39:12
Both ideal weather.
Boston 2009: 3:39:12
Both ideal weather.
Jerry- Explaining To Spouse
- Posts : 2712
Points : 1006514
Join date : 2011-06-15
Location : Where I'm Loved
Re: Boston or New York
I think NY is a bit easier as the hills are not an intense, and there are not as many. However, there are indeed more entrants. If you are a downhill runner, Boston would be a better choice.
Re: Boston or New York
I think NY is easier - more of a rolling hills course if that's your thing.
wrichman- Poster
- Posts : 245
Points : 4813
Join date : 2012-01-12
Location : Chicago, IL
Re: Boston or New York
I have not run either of them, but I think that NY is easier than Boston. They are both tough to PR at, but NYs hills are not as much of a challenge in comparison to Boston.
Nick Morris- Talking To Myself
- Posts : 5109
Points : 14249
Join date : 2011-06-16
Age : 43
Location : Madison, WI
Re: Boston or New York
I'm late to this thread, but I have run both so I feel compelled to answer.
I'm going to go against the others and say that NYC is slightly tougher. Besides the Newton Hills, the Boston course is relatively fast from beginning to end. In NYC, you have to deal with two large bridges at the beginning and middle of the race.
I'll describe NYC from memory. Check out the real course info for more accurate details.
Nobody notices the difficulty of the Narrows bridge because that's where you start and you are excited and fresh. But you still have to climb it and deal with a steep decline once you are at the top. So even though you are feeling great you are beating yourself up right off the bat. Then much later you have to deal with the Queensboro bridge. This one is downright nasty. I think you hit it around mile 17. So you get to experience some real punishment just before it's time for the dreaded 20 mile mark. At that point you have several miles of gradual uphill on your way to Central Park. Gradual uphill is not how you want to spend this part of the race. Those miles approaching the park were the toughest for me.
I won't describe Boston because the course is so well known.
But I'll stand by my assertion that considering course alone, Boston is slightly faster.
Stan
I'm going to go against the others and say that NYC is slightly tougher. Besides the Newton Hills, the Boston course is relatively fast from beginning to end. In NYC, you have to deal with two large bridges at the beginning and middle of the race.
I'll describe NYC from memory. Check out the real course info for more accurate details.
Nobody notices the difficulty of the Narrows bridge because that's where you start and you are excited and fresh. But you still have to climb it and deal with a steep decline once you are at the top. So even though you are feeling great you are beating yourself up right off the bat. Then much later you have to deal with the Queensboro bridge. This one is downright nasty. I think you hit it around mile 17. So you get to experience some real punishment just before it's time for the dreaded 20 mile mark. At that point you have several miles of gradual uphill on your way to Central Park. Gradual uphill is not how you want to spend this part of the race. Those miles approaching the park were the toughest for me.
I won't describe Boston because the course is so well known.
But I'll stand by my assertion that considering course alone, Boston is slightly faster.
Stan
ssilvert- Poster
- Posts : 173
Points : 4838
Join date : 2011-08-12
Age : 56
Location : Atlanta
Similar topics
» Making a Brand New Start of it: New York, New York
» New York, New York, A Race Report
» 13.1 New York HM - Anyone Do it - Flushing NY
» New York
» New York, New York
» New York, New York, A Race Report
» 13.1 New York HM - Anyone Do it - Flushing NY
» New York
» New York, New York
Page 1 of 1
Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
|
|