NYC Marathon NO BAGGAGE!!!

How long will the lines be at the courtesy phones?

Tyler11 wrote:

As several others have suggested on the NYRR Facebook page, a better solution may have been to let runners who don't care to check baggage leave the park earlier (72nd Street), while allowing runners who want to check baggage to do so after a short walk to the UPS trucks. To change policy 10 weeks before the race after accepting all of the fees and without runner input is a very irresponsible move on the part of NYRR. As a long-time member of the organization, I appreciate the races and services they offer local runners, but I do feel that over the past several years the needs of the masses who make up the core of their membership have been pushed aside to lower costs and support elite running.

How so?

This will probably not apply to the sub-elite start as they are bused with the elites and get to go into the elite recovery area. So if you are at least moderately fast (sub 2:34) then it won't affect you.

"runners will no longer check baggage at the start of the race, and there will be no baggage retrieval after the finish."

That would be funny if there was no back check at the start, but they still had bag retrieval.

Doesn't do a lot to complain here. Contact the NYRR.

Tyler11 wrote:

As several others have suggested on the NYRR Facebook page, a better solution may have been to let runners who don't care to check baggage leave the park earlier (72nd Street), while allowing runners who want to check baggage to do so after a short walk to the UPS trucks. To change policy 10 weeks before the race after accepting all of the fees and without runner input is a very irresponsible move on the part of NYRR. As a long-time member of the organization, I appreciate the races and services they offer local runners, but I do feel that over the past several years the needs of the masses who make up the core of their membership have been pushed aside to lower costs and support elite running.

I see no reason why runners without baggage should not be able to exit at W72nd St, significantly easing the congestion.

To be honest I don't see what difference the new baggage rule will make. Anyone who runs slower than 3:30 is still going to have to shuffle to W 79th, W86th St or whereever.

I also see the inability to get to a cell phone as a health risk. What happens if you start to feel ill once you have left the park?

I foresee more people using the SI Ferry so they can get to the start later (the 7:30 ferry gets you there in plenty of time to start in the first wave).

I missed the 7:30 ferry last time and had to run in the 2nd wave :)

How about telling one of the thousands of race volunteers or medical personnel, bub.

Get over it, people.

RAC wrote:

Another wrote:

They got a good deal on ponchos. 50,000 ponchos, but it was a good deal...

No sleeves

That's why it was a good deal. Don't tell Mary though. She might take away the porta-loos.

Doesn't do a lot of good defending the evil empire. Hmmmmmmm.

I'm going to Jogger World to complain about it too. Spread the discontent.

Hmmmmmm wrote:

How about telling one of the thousands of race volunteers or medical personnel, bub.

Get over it, people.

There are no volunteers or medical personnel west of CPW.

Hmmmmmm wrote:

Tyler11 wrote:

As several others have suggested on the NYRR Facebook page, a better solution may have been to let runners who don't care to check baggage leave the park earlier (72nd Street), while allowing runners who want to check baggage to do so after a short walk to the UPS trucks. To change policy 10 weeks before the race after accepting all of the fees and without runner input is a very irresponsible move on the part of NYRR. As a long-time member of the organization, I appreciate the races and services they offer local runners, but I do feel that over the past several years the needs of the masses who make up the core of their membership have been pushed aside to lower costs and support elite running.

How so?

I think he means that local runners have been priced out, which is true for many of them. I know plenty of teachers, researchers, nurses, students and parents who can't afford $230.

However, a lot of local runners seem to feel that the have "the right" to run the NYC Marathon every year. I disagree. Why not run it every 3 years? There are plenty of other local, cheaper marathons at that time of year.

Did they lose the UPS sponsorship? Is that why they are doing this and offering a justification related to their runners? The fact is that no baggage trucks were available at all for about a quarter to a half mile and they didn't use the 72nd transverse or the usual baggage drop for the tavern finish at all. They take what is a major pain and make it worse. I would always have to go to the airport right after the race and I would already have checked out of my hostel at the crack of dawn on race day, so I needed to have my bag, and even then you suffer in the cold for hours before the start. The fact is that this race gets worse and worse with ridiculous fees, a start on Staten Island, a mile walk for baggage (shortened a bit last year by putting baggage out by the south end of the Museum of Natural History, and now no baggage. I did not enter this year because of the price, though I'd love to make it six in a row but I'm just not going to support with my pocketbook their attempt to transform running races into a rich triathlon clientele (NYC triathlon over $1k fee for next year before they cancelled it; normal triathlons at over $500).

Good news people:

"You will be allowed to use a Waistpack/ camelback or Wristband to hold cell phones, keys etc."

Remember that 2:30 marathoners.

Randy Oldman wrote:

Good news people:

"You will be allowed to use a Waistpack/ camelback or Wristband to hold cell phones, keys etc."

Remember that 2:30 marathoners.

Yeah. Remember that all 48 out you.

Please let me know of the other "local" marathons that time of year.

I understand NYCers feeling that way. they pay a ton of taxes and this event uses the streets, police, ems, and sanitation services. The NYRR is like a baseball owner getting the city to build it a new stadium. They dominate the running scene in the city and are a price leader. Many NYCers don't drive and it is not easy to get to all those other local marathons at that time of year.

Full disclosure - ran Philly last year and it was great. Much better than NYC. But it is not local for NYC.

In November

within 200 miles of Manhattan

and certified...

Brooklyn Marathon (was a good race last year)

Bucks County

Philly

Deleware and Lehigh Heritage

Harrisburg

North Central Trail

Myles Standish

Manchester City

Use this link. You can search for marathons around a certain radius and other criteria.

http://www.findmymarathon.com/location.php

A business in NYC is overpriced, inconvenient, employs bait and switch tactics and generally treats its customers like crap?

I'm SHOCKED!

My guess is that this, whether intentionally or not, is now setting up for the NYC Marathon 2013 to cost $270 OR for the low price of just $10 you can upgrade and bring a bag to the finish so you'll be paying a cool $280 for a marathon.

It's just like airlines did, now there are going to be marathons that look better because they don't charge a bag fee.

I've been to marathons from 500 people to as large as the NYC and they all check bags, this is ridiculous that they are doing that.

I wouldn't mind so much if they were doing this for a marathon in May, June, July, August or even September. But November in NYC in the morning can be very cold and I think they are risking a lot here. They won't lose anyone this year but people will start looking elsewhere at some point.

Sounds like a good business opportunity for a local runner to setup a 'fee for service' bag drop-off. Is it possible for anyone to get near the starting area so they can charge runners for bag drop off? I would imagine NYRR probably has the place locked down tight.