Nicholas Thompson

Today’s @nycmarathon could hardly have gone better.

I was in European time, so waking up at 4:30 was easy. I went downstairs and found my uniform all laid out on the floor, with my shoes and socks, and a note from my youngest son: “love you Dad.” I put the note in the back pocket of my racing shorts and headed to the start, and the Staten Island ferry, which was 90% full of runners and 10% full of hungover witches and goblins heading home.

I had told my boys that the best-case scenario was 2:39:59. I held that 6:05 pace, with a couple small hitches, as we made our way through the city. I ran for much of it with my training partner and friend @yungccohen. The crowds were glorious. As little J said, “it’s as close as normal people can get to playing sports in a sold-out stadium.”

I slowed a bit on 5th Avenue and sprinted as hard as I could up the last bit in Central Park. I finished in 2:40:09, just off pace but thrilled overall and third in my age group. I took the note out from my son and read it again as I walked to the 2/3 train home.

Thank you to @nnenna_runs for the finish-line photo, @districtvision for the singlet, @brooklyntrackclub for the love, @zachbitter for the coaching, and @everydayathlete.co for the fuel.

This was my 13th NYC finish, but definitely not my last. Maybe I can find those nine seconds in my training next year.