How did ING NYC get so many high-profile runners?

My bad, I wanted to use a word to describe the top five marathons in the world. The word Pentagon came to mind so I figured on pentultimate as a descriptor (the five ultimate), a Webster's check indicates there is no such word, I therefore take credit for creating it. Penultimate on the other hand...well you got me there and I stand corrected.

How Indeed wrote:

ING NYC Marathon Fan just misued the "penultimate," but that's okay, it's the most misused word in the English language. It does not mean "greater than ultimate"; it means the "second to last" in order.

Chelsea's ridiculous notion that NYC is now a second rate affair and that Chicago now has greater prestige is one propagated on this message board but hardly shared by the running public and the general public. NYC is the one international masses flock to. The fact that Chicago yields a few fast times on a fast course with fields that are NOT terribly deep means little when you compare the depth and quality of New York's champions, who in recent years have included several reigning Boston champions. And compare the American fields in NYC and Chicago and tell me NYC is "second rate." Puhleeze.

People are going to start caring about the elite runners with more fields like these.

two things

1. re: prestige. the idea of chicago's marathon being more prestigious that NYC's is like saying chicago's a more prestigious city than new york. sorry kids, NYC's the greatest city in the world--that's one of the many reasons people crowd international flights to run the marathon there. even the french will agree to that.

2. the idea about the fans caring about middle of the pack runners is also a little soft. at the water cooler the next day, people really only discuss two things about the race: a) how fast, smooth, amazing etc etc the african frontrunners were; and b) the funny costumes back in the pack.

recognize the real

Top tier

Boston

Chicago

London

Rotterdam

Tokyo

Berlin

Second tier

NYC

you have some hate on for NYC ranking Tokyo and Rotterdam ahead of it.

Chelsea wrote:

Top tier

Boston

Chicago

London

Rotterdam

Tokyo

Berlin

Second tier

NYC

There are two marathons which attract any press other than the cities they are conducted in within the US.

Boston and NY. An American wins either of those races he or she will likely get a lot of attention. An American could break the WR at any of the other races and it would barely get mentioned in out of town newspapers.

I agree 100%. If an American wins either BOS or NY it will get tons of coverage. Win Rotterdam\Berlin\Tokyo\Berlin and you get ZERO attention outside of the running community.

Man, there are some huge butt suckers on this site. mention no names, but(t) wondering how many faces this guy has got!

Chelsea, you're just plain nuts...rating Rotterdam higher than NYC. Just because a race is flat and yields fast times does not make it a "top tier" marathon

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