The Peek: Behind-the-Scenes of the New York City Marathon

“It's humbling. It's awesome. It's just an amazing thing to be a part of this, something that's so much bigger than yourself.”

That’s how Jim Heim, race director for the New York City Marathon, describes his experience organizing one of the world’s largest marathons. We recently launched a podcast series in partnership with BibRave called The Peek: A Behind-the-Scenes Podcast by AfterShokz that takes an inside look into the planning and preparation of some of the world’s most iconic races. In this episode, the third in our three-part series, we delve into the massive undertaking that is planning the TCS New York City Marathon. 

When most of us show up to the start line of a race, we’re thinking about one thing: running to the finish line. We pay little attention to the planning and preparation required for that race to happen seamlessly. But even for a small-town 5K, race organizers typically spend months planning everything from start line logistics to volunteer communication to course marking.

Now, multiply those planning needs by the tens of thousands for an event the size of the New York City Marathon. With 53,000 runners, 10,000 volunteers, and more than a million spectators pouring through the five boroughs of New York City, the coordination and logistics required to pull off this event are nothing short of Herculean.

In this episode of The Peek, Heim shares the ins-and-outs of what it’s like planning the New York City Marathon, and even spills the secrets of how race organizers were able to overcome previously limiting factors so that the race could grow in numbers to become one of the world’s largest marathons. (Spoiler: those post-race ponchos play a huge role!)

We also hear from John Honerkamp, a coach and pacer with the New York Road Runners who frequently guides celebrity runners through the streets of New York on race day. Is your fave celebrity a diva on the run? Honerkamp has the inside scoop!

Download this episode of The Peek here, and be sure to check out Episode One, which delves into the logistics behind the legendary Hood to Coast relay, and Episode Two, which takes a deep dive behind the scenes and under the water of the Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon.