The New York Marathon is a very unique experience. The race doesn't officially start until 10 AM, but it is at Staten Island, so if you are staying in Manhattan, you have the option to take the bus (closer to the hotel) or take the ferry (farther, but more flexible). I chose the bus, which meant getting up early to take a 90 minute bus ride to the start where I would wait for another 2 hours for the race to start. Believe me, the views and the crowd on the course made up for all this hassle. I remember passing over the Verrazano Bridge into Brooklyn and just being in awe - seeing the Statue of Liberty and the tall buildings of NYC. The course was not easy, but the spectators were loud and encouraging. There was a lot of read to prepare for the highs and lows of the course, and I was forever grateful that I took the time to prepare. It's a hard race to get into, and I was lucky enough to get in through the lottery and loved every second of it (even if I did have to get up 5 hours before running a marathon :) ).