45 and Still Running: Fast facts about the New York City Marathon

This year, the New York City Marathon celebrates its 45th year, a grand feat given that the very first race was held entirely in Central Park and only had 127 entrants. The 2015 race, which was held on November 1st, saw a registration of 50,229 entrants, with the participants running a 26.2 mile (42.2 km) course that covered all five boroughs of New York City. From the relatively simple event that Fred Lebow and Vince Chiappetta organized in 1970, the New York City Marathon has grown to one of the biggest (if not the biggest) running events the world today.

Image source: thrillist.com

Below are other interesting facts about the Big Apple’s most iconic road race:

1. For the first New York City Marathon, only 55 men finished the race, and the sole female entrant dropped out due to illness. Winners were given inexpensive wristwatches and recycled baseball and bowling trophies. The entry fee was $1, and the total event budget was $1,000. (This year’s first place finishers received $100,000, and entry cost was around $250.) 

2. Women were barred from running marathons until the Amateur Athletic Union finally lifted the ban in 1971, provided female runners started either 10 minutes before or after the men. In 1972, six female runners joined the New York City Marathon. They waited for the signal for their 10-minute head start but once the gun went off, they sat down in protest against the discriminatory policy, and begun the race with everyone else.

3. Some of the runners who joined the New York City Marathon do so to raise money for a good cause. The 2014 race helped raise a record $34.5 million for various charitable causes.

4. The 2000 race was the first year that wheelchair and handcycle racers had their own formal, competitive division following 20 years of racing as part of an exhibition event.

5. Apart from the canon blast that signals the start of the race, Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York” is also played over the loudspeakers.

Image source: nypost.com

Follow this Steven Rindner blog for more articles on training and joining a marathon.