Not a Race Report; The Manhattan Training Run

I last ran this notarace in 1999 and every year since I just could not squeeze it into my schedule.  This was originally a NYC Marathon training run for the NYPD.  At some point they opened it up to the public.  Here is a great deception of the course by Alex Gonzelez in NYCRuns.

A group of about 500 met at W 220th Street and Broadway and ran down to The Battery.  14.2 miles.  It was nice to be treated like a cop.  It was nice to run with cops (and not away from cops, but that was another life.)

Before the start I noticed all these birds sitting on top of a car wash.  Do you think they are on payroll?

Anyway, just before we start we walk uptown a half a block to the Broadway Bridge.  We touched it for luck.

It was a beautiful place to run.   The first 5 or 6 miles were on the streets of Washington Heights and along Riverside Drive.  We had "rolling roadblocks", motorcycle cops shutting down the intersections just as we approached.  The rest was in Riverside Park and the new Hudson River Park.  In 1999 we ran past the car dealers on 9th Ave.  This morning this was the view (backwards).

After the race I introduced myself to the Notarace Director, Curtis Dixon.  I told him that he puts on a wonderful event.  Another participant came by and said he had a hard time finding this race on the Internet.  He said that if it had a website more people wold have run it.  He thought that a few thousand people would show up and that with proper sponsorship and marketing the event could be huge.  Curtis visibility shuddered at the idea.  I agree, leave the bigger events to the NYRR.

14.2 miles in 2 hours and 30 minuets.  Ten and a half minutes per mile.  I am good.