2013 Edition
As usual, I'm behind on my posts. I decided to stay ahead of the curve with this one, though. Tomorrow is the Brooklyn Half Marathon, which is one of my very favorite races. This will be the third time I've run it, after 2009 and last year.
I'm little bit uncertain about how I'd feel about the whole affair this year because the race is enormous. I think there are almost 40,000 people running it. It truly seems like most every runner in New York City is running this race. Normally I have no problem with large races, but something about the explosive growth of this one made me uncomfortable.
My fears were slightly assuaged on Wednesday, when I went to pick up my bib. The "Pre-Race Party" (aka race expo) was in a neighborhood called Dumbo that's underneath the Brooklyn side of the Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges. I have to give NYRR a lot of credit, it was a great event. The expo itself had a number of cool activities and displays, not to mention the usual collection of gear for sale. Outside of that, though, they set up a legitimate beer garden, complete with food, live music, and of course, beer.
I ran there after work and met Amortya. Hua and Russ rode their bikes and met us there not too long after. I saw three or four other people I know, which only served as further confirmation that this really is a very small community, numbers aside.
So I suppose, until tomorrow, the jury is still out on whether or not this race can maintain its charm while accommodating tens of thousands of runners more than usual. If Wednesday was any indication, it might be a little bigger, but perhaps no less charming, intimate and enjoyable than ever.
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| My view from the Pre-Race Party |
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