Best training spots in NYC for the Boston Marathon

Training Advice/Discussion Marathon

2 years ago 01/20/2022 10:26am EST

Training for my first and most likely only Boston this year and while I want to run reasonably fast (for myself) I really want to enjoy the run. A big part of that will be making sure my legs and lungs are ready for the hills and hoping it's not a hot/humid day.

Obviously Central Park has hills and there are plenty of bridges so I'm confident in my ability to train for the uphills but I'm curious how others have dealt with trying to prepare for the long downhill at the beginning.

Any long run routes or even just longer hills accessible without a personal car in NYC you could share?

Happy training!

2 years ago 01/20/2022 10:51am EST

re: SlowInNYC

The West side highway is popular. You can run unimpeded by traffic for miles in both directions. Also you can find a route from there all the way around Battery Park to the East side.

2 years ago 01/20/2022 10:53am EST

re: Sawyer

He's not looking for long stretches to run, he's looking for long downhills.

OP, you're not going to find anything to simulate Boston. Just focus on training as you would a regular marathon and be sure to incorporate hilly LRs. In my opinion, Prospect Park is better since the downhill is longer than anything you'll find in CPK, but still short of the start of Boston.

2 years ago 01/20/2022 11:24am EST

re: browski

How long is the downhill at the start of Boston?

2 years ago 01/22/2022 7:08am EST

re: coach

Well you have a decent drop in the 1st mile & the 1st 4 drop more than 200 feet. I think Central Park or Prospect Park is going to be your best bet to simulate how the course rolls. Even when you're dropping there are little bumps mixed in in the opening miles. When you're doing your marathon paced tempos I would use Central Park and start the workout where you'll drop the most in the first 2-3 miles. I think mile 23ish of the NYC Marathon course has a pretty good climb too & is parallel to the park. Could start a tempo by doing the finish of the NYC Marathon to mile 23ish & then get back into the park for some climbing back to the start. You could do a lot of tempos where you'll drop in the 1st half & climb in the 2nd half which would be good for Boston. Better to feel marathon pace on courses like that than find a flat path to lock into a pace. Don't worry about splits. Say marathon pace is 6:00-flat. Maybe you're more like 6:10ish at that effort on the hillier tempo loop. Don't fight it to try to run 6-flat. Let the hills do their thing. Learning to run by effort is what will make all the difference at Boston. You shouldn't be fighting the course to maintain splits. You should be letting the course dictate splits & then you'll have legs when the course is runnable in the last 5 miles.

2 years ago 01/22/2022 10:31am EST

re: NERunner03533

Running bridges or up 5th ave at the end of your long runs will be a good simulation of the Newton hills. No great match for the long downhills of the start but maybe running a bridge at the beginning would be close

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