The incredible charm of the New York Marathon

New York. There is no marathon in the world that can compete with that of New York. In Berlin world records are destroyed, but in the big apple is celebrated the paradise of running, or if you prefer the running since we are in the United States. Marathon means forty-two kilometers and one hundred and ninety-five meters, all the others are not marathons, even if whoever tells of his marathon will always find someone who will ask him: “but how many kilometers?”. The one in New York is then measured in miles: 26.2 which, as Linus says, who ran it 11 times and once again this year acted as a motivator for a large group of compatriots, “helps to make it look shorter”.

The New York Marathon this year has reopened its doors to all, returning to welcome 50 thousand participants, after a ceiling of 25 thousand in 2021 and the cancellation for Covid in 2020. The Italians, as per tradition, have said: “ready”! Between the pandemic and the Travel Ban they were missing from 2019. Confirming a record established many times, with 2,222 members they were the largest group of foreigners. If (2019 data from Audience Research and Analysis) generates an induced amount for the city economy of 427 million dollars, our compatriots give a good contribution. With over 2 thousand registered, the New York Marathon ideally ranks sixth among the Italian marathons. In Italy about forty run a year, but with modest numbers, except for a few cases. For example, on Sunday there was also a race in Turin with less than a thousand classified. Yet going to the Piedmontese capital costs a few hundred euros.

Most of who run here in New York through the five boroughs (Staten island, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx and Manhattan) coming from Italy he relies on tour operator accredited. In Italy there are five, the most consistent Terramia and Born2run. Fortunately, the agencies managed to keep the package prices the same as in 2021 when it was impossible to travel. Contracts with hotels date back to before the value of the euro plummeted and inflation rallied. “Next year” Herbert Thomas from Born2run explains to Il Foglio “if the economic situation does not change, the prices will hardly be the same” (this year the average of the packages was around 1,900 euros and included bib, airfare and hotel ). “People were thrilled to run here” Antonio Baldisserotto, great head of Terramia, told Il Foglio, “if we had had more bibs from the organizers we would have sold those too”. Then those who came realized how the cost of living has changed.

In New York you eat very well, Neapolitan pizza triumphs and is very good “A Neapolitan pizza” in the Lower East side is first in the 50top Pizza ranking, a ranking made by Neapolitans. But you are spoiled for choice, there is also a marathon runner’s pizzeria, “Sotto Casa”, in Brooklyn. The owner Luca Arrigoni finished in three hours, forty-five minutes and twenty-one seconds, better than the personal best of Joe Bastianich who in the past ran it five times. However, as Fulvio Massini, historian who accompanies those traveling with Born2ru, says: “Never eat pizza the night before”. Returning to the prices, today for a pizza, drinking tap water, including taxes and tip, you spend 35 dollars. The shopping it has become unapproachable mainly due to the disadvantage of the exchange rate, yet there are those who have brought their families and Italian tourism continues to move towards New York throughout the year.

Watching the stream of people crossing the city for hours and hours is something magical, it makes you want to pin your bib. Except in South Williamsburg, the neighborhood of Hasidic Orthodox Jews where the silence that seems to be at the Milan Marathon reigns, for all the 42 kilometers it is a party of cheering, music, incitement, even for the last ones who arrived in Central Park at 19.25, when it was now dark but with a full moon high in the sky.

Running the marathon has many interpretations, for example there are those who came to follow a training program like the students of the Micap (International High Performance Coaching Master) who ran in 80s, the important thing was to finish. For years the Veronesi Foundation has organized a group of women cured of female tumors, the first year that project had the honor of the front page of the New York Times.

Then there are the famous people, the best known to the Italian public is definitely Ashton Kutcher who closed in 3.54.01, an excellent time for a rookie. Chelsea Clinton crossed the line in 4.20.34. The Americans did not consider him among the famous, but the rapper Ghemon finished the first of him in 4.14.37. Needless to say, the absolute rankings are registered in Kenya with the victories of Evan Chebet among men and Sharon Lokedi among women. A excellent eighth place for the blue Daniele Meucci. Last year, after London and Chicago, New York also introduced a ranking for non-binary people, this year, the first in history, it recognized a cash prize to the top 5 for a total of 15 thousand dollars.