Thousands of runners will hit the streets on Sunday for one of the preeminent sporting events in the world — the 2018 New York City Marathon.
The race, which started with just 55 participants way back in 1970, has grown to a massive scale, and an estimated 55,000 runners are expected to pound the pavement come Sunday morning.
If you’re planning to catch the 26.2-mile marathon from the comfort of your own home, you can tune onESPN 2or watch on the network’s website and app. If you’re in the New York tri-state area, you can simply turn to ABC 7 to watch.
If you don’t know what all the excitement is about, or simply need a refresher about why the NYC Marathon is such a big deal, here are five things to know about world-famous race.
Elsa/Getty Images
There’s a Large Sum of Money on the Line
NYC Marathon runners aren’t just competing for a medal and a pat on the back — there are hundreds of thousands of dollars up for grabs for the top place finishers.
The winners from both the male and female divisions can earn $100,000, with second and third earning $60,000 and $40,000, respectively. In all, there is$825,000worth of guaranteed prize money for the athletes.
Seth Wenig/AP
Last Year’s Winners
Celebrities Will Be Running Too!
If you look closely at the tens of thousands of participants making their way through New York City, you have a good chance of catching a celebrity or two. ActressTeri Hatcher, former NFL player Tiki Barber, Olympian Erin Hamlin and celebrity chef Dan Churchill have already announced they will be running, according toRunner’s World.
Runners Go Through All 5 Boroughs (and Leave Quite the Mess)
In its infancy, the NYC Marathon was heldentirely within Central Park. But in 1976, the race expanded to include all five boroughs, and Sunday’s race will begin on Staten Island. Runners will then make their way through Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and, finally, to Central Park in Manhattan.
As the runners travel through the city, its estimated that they will leavenearly 26 tons of clothing on the ground, all within the first few miles. Fortunately, thousands of volunteers have been recruited to help retrieve the clothes and donate them to charities.
Runners From Ethiopia and Kenya Have Dominated the Event for Years
source: people.com
