Jersey City Marathon

I‘ll be there 🫡

Elite field has been full for a few weeks. Communication for this event has been pretty garbage, but looking like a great opportunity none the less!

I’m also running and shooting for OTQ as is at least one of my friends

Race directors and communication have been absolute garbage. I think they’re WAY in over their heads trying to put together a fast race. I predict it’s going to be a complete sh!tshow. They haven’t even announced the on-course drink and gel sponsor. I personally know lots of OTQ hopefuls and sub-elites that got turned away from this race.

i hope it’s not the case, but I think this race will be terrible.

Equal prize money for non-binary. Dumb.

I love how they set the non-binary qualifying standard at the midpoint between men and women standards.

You should make sure the course is USATF certified. It's an additional certification level beyond what it takes for a race like Boston.

Are they seriously giving $14,500 in prize money for "non-binary? They will probably be lucky to have 15 entrants in the marathon/HM combined. There could be people walking the entire course in 6 hours and take home $100 for "First NJ Non-binary". Forget the finisher medals, they are getting finisher money.

I think possibly you mean USATF sanctioned. The marathon has to be sanctioned by USATF or a World Athletics federation, as well as the course being certified to qualify for the trials. BQ courses have to be certified only. There is a descent limitation on Olympic qualifying courses also (no running down a mountain).

I have not checked this out, but I am going to guess that possibly the Jersey City Marathon is the Newport Liberty Half Marathon x 2 (which would be ok). Or USATF site not updated. The certification number should be posted on the marathon website, I realize it may not be there, I am just saying all marathons should be including this information for participants.

A quick look at both courses shows they are not similar, so that’s not it

The race website says, "The marathon and half marathon will be a USA Track & Field New Jersey sanctioned event on a certified course."

Perhaps the certification hasn't been done yet or the courses database not updated yet. I would expect it to be by April, if that's what they're advertising it as.

Gucci: Man, this marathon I'm running in is going to be a sh!tshow.
Non-running-friend: What's wrong?!
Gucci: Well, they haven't been communicating with the runners AT ALL. I'm completely in the dark about the details of this race.
Non-running-friend: That's terrible! Have they told you about the date and time of the race? The course?
Gucci: Yes.
Non-running-friend: Do they have a website with the event information?
Gucci: Well, yeah.
Non-running-friend: Oh, ok. What haven't they told you?
Gucci: For one, they haven't even told us what food and drink they'll be serving us during the race! And it's only 2.5 months away!
Non-running-friend: Oh no! Wait, what?
Gucci: Yeah, don't even get me started.
Non-running-friend: Can you bring your own food and drink?
Gucci: Yes, but that's not the point.
Non-running-friend: Right! You paid your hard earned money for those snacks!
Gucci: Well, they are letting me run for free. But my friends aren't allowed to run for free!
Non-running-friend: That's crazy! Why would they discriminate against your friends?!
Gucci: They "say" the race is full. Which is not fair at all, they only gave my friends like 4 months to sign-up for free.
Non-running-friend: Oh... well, yeah, you guys are Olympians. They should totally make exceptions for professional runners!
Gucci: Well we aren't Olympians, per se, but we could possibly run fast enough to qualify to run in a race with some people that might be Olympians!
Non-running-friend: Listen, I gotta go.
Gucci: I just can't get over the fact that there are people trying to put together a new, fast marathon, pay out a lot of prize money, let a lot of people in for free... they're completely ruining this sport. And they are garbage human beings.

There are certifications that can make a course eligible for a race like Boston but that still don’t cover the Olympic Trials. OT requires USATF certification specifically.

so they can be “certified” but still be missing a step

You ok?

I still do not see the Jersey City Marathon listed in the USATF database of certified courses. Does anyone have any intel on this? It's going to be a huge CF if a bunch of people go up there and run OTQ times, only to find out after the fact that the course isn't eligible and they just squandered a good opportunity in the final ~8 months of the window.

Have you tried emailing the race directors?

Not to be a negative nelly, but is it really a good idea to use a first time event as an OTQ attempt?

What could go wrong?

I think you're confusing USATF "sanctioned" with USATF "certified." Courses get certified, and there's only one type of USATF certification. Races get sanctioned. Almost every legit road race is on a certified course, but most race directors don't bother sanctioning their races because unless you're trying to qualify for the trials or set an American Record, there's not really any point. It's easy, though. Just a bit of paperwork and a small fee, and it can be done in a couple days.

Certification take a day. The measurer does his bike rides, draws a map, and sends them to USATF. I would not expect a brand new course to be certified months in advance of race day. I have had a course certified two days before a race (when forced to make changes).

Is this the group putting on the race?

I'm hoping this ends well and doesnt become the Fyre Festival of marathons. Would be nice to have a fast, flat spring marathon in NJ.