My favorite part of the New York City Marathon is no more

As a frequent New York City Marathon runner, I often get asked about my favorite part of the course. There are so many highlights, from the iconic views to the incredible sound of a million people cheering. By the time I reach the later miles, it's comforting to know the crowd is still there cheering specifically for us back-of-the-pack runners.

Course details change over time. Toll plazas disappear, streets shift, and tangents change. A few years ago, the course added a detour in the Bronx around an extra city block—what I called the "Western Beef dimple"—to add roughly a quarter of a mile. Right around mile 20.5, we ran past one of the most uniquely New York sights on the route: a can redemption center in the back of a parking lot where people were actively redeeming cans while we ran by.

This year, the route in the Bronx will bypass that block. During my traditional 10-mile preview run a week before the race, I made sure to run the old detour one last time to say goodbye to the can return center.

I’m looking forward to Sunday and seeing what new sights the revised route will bring.