TCS NYC Marathon 2025: A major milestone in my Marathon journey

The year 2025 started with relocation to Pathankot, on my maiden major administrative appointment which was expected to take my time and effort, away from running. But like all passionate runners, my first days in the city were spent acclimatising to work schedule and the biting winters. As the challenges of work got under control, so did the process of locating running routes around the hospital. Mamun Cantonment roads, with their impeccable surface and fairly challenging inclines and of course a fledgeling group of seasoned runners as company for Sunday long runs were a blessing. 

After completing the three months of training remaining for the London marathon in April, which included a FM in Chandigarh Fast Marathon in Feb as a training long run (my first 42k since Tokyo 2023), I was fairly confident of training better for the forthcoming NYC Marathon, scheduled in November, which was known for it’s tough logistic challenges and hilly route especially in the later miles. With last two years since Tokyo Marathon in Apr 2023, being punctuated with injuries and military commitments (Presidents Colour parade) that kept me off training consistently for a marathon, I had spent 2024 running easy, building aerobic base and focusing on strength and mobility. 

Training virtually with Neera Katwal was helping me a great deal in reclaiming strength and much needed flexibility and joint mobility which was causing the frequent niggles and injuries. 

Having reached a peak performance of 3h17m in TMM2019, and equivalent paces in HM, I felt that Covid years 2020-22 had taken away my mojo and post Tokyo in Apr 2023, I was struggling to reclaim it with even the earlier aerobic paces seeming like tempo efforts.

After the confidence gained and better training opportunity in Pathankot, with more time to focus on structured training, recovery and other aspects, I knew that the attempt at NYC was going to be a test of the gains, and also a strong bed to place my attempts at my future running goals. 

Serious training for NYC started from July’25 with a clear, self-designed 16 wk plan. The aim was to build up mileage gradually, 4-days a week of running with 80% of mileage being easy, once weekly speed workouts, tempo runs and remaining days left for strength and yoga sessions. The monthly mileage remained around 180-200k with peak mileage of around 220k in Oct’25. 

Focus on proper nutrition, protein intake, fueling and sleep was adhered to with utmost diligence, despite the pressures of the appointment which often demand time and liver beyond what can be safely spared. What helped there was my strong sense of self-discipline, prioritizing running health over everything else and the power to say No to such distractions. 

At home, the eating and resting schedule was well structured, thanks to some serious discipline being maintained by Rajee on that score as well. 

My training paces now hovered around a conservative 6-6:30min/km for long runs and 5-5:15min for tempo runs. Speed work was restricted to short intervals with adequate recovery, with a close watch on how the calves and hamstrings behaved. Although these were far slower than my peak paces of the past, it was prudent that I humbly stick to my current fitness levels and work on it instead of fretting about what I was once capable of and overdoing it. Risk of recurrence of injury was something I wasn’t willing to take at this time.

Half marathons in my favourite AFMC event in early August and later TUFFMAN Chandigarh HM on 28th September were utilised as Tune-up races with improved timings of 1:53 and 1:48 giving the much-needed confidence boost. 

Weekend Long runs of 26-32k were done religiously despite the hot and humid climes in Sep-Oct with some great company in fellow Mamun runners, who made it easy to accomplish the tough rigours of running in that terrain and weather. 

Tapering during October, the festive weeks of Dussehra and Diwali took some major self-control in avoiding the calorie-dense goodies, well almost. Alcohol definitely was avoided to almost non-existent quantities. 

I looked forward to the trip to US with great excitement as it was planned with a few days of staying with daughter at Washington, my first trip to her place. It was not just an absolute bliss to be under Sanjana’s hospitality and care and see her so independent, but also a great time to get over the jet lag and get used to the temperatures, running some easy miles on the capital’s roads.  

This was something I hadn’t done on my previous visit to US for Chicago marathon in 2018, and had suffered badly. Running with poor recovery from jet lag and acclimatization to cold did hamper my performance then. 

These few days of time also gave me an opportunity to catch up with some of my ex-students pursuing residency and old friends and get some much-needed positive vibes. 

I reached NYC on thursday where dark clouds, spells of heavy rains and winds gave a scary welcome to the city.  The forecast was of a much sedate and comfortable weather on Sunday but knowing the unpredictability of the New York weather, i was keeping my fingers crossed. There were not many runners known to me in the group with Active holiday, so most time was spent in solitude, short runs in the morning, carb loading and hydrating through the rest of the day. 

The challenges of the race logistics, travel to start point at Staten Island, likely wait in the cold there till race start, was all being planned, which was more on everyone’s mind than the race itself. 

The meaning of the phrase in this event,  “Marathon before the Marathon” was fast sinking in.  I kept my “travel to Race start” option by a 9am ferry for a 1055am start by wave 4, which was considered a tight call, but with no time target in mind and aiming to run easy, i was willing to avoid the long wait, and start later with wave 5, at 1130h if it came to that. Thankfully, everything went clockwork and I was able to reach the start, well in time to stretch a bit and be ready to begin with wave 4. The start formalities on the iconic Verrazzano-Narrows bridge connecting Staten Island and Brooklyn were exciting with real cannons being fired after the American national anthem was played. My hands  went up in a spontaneous salute at the end of it, smartly reciprocated by the US Army soldier standing by the side, as if the unspoken fauji lingo was understood. This was enough boost to set me off on the long journey to the finish line in Central Park 26.2 miles away. 

Having done repeated revisions of the course profile, I was aware of the maximum elevation right at the initial mile followed by steep downhill to Brooklyn and all the energetic cheers that would follow. Having been cautioned to be mindful not to overdo, save energy for the tough elevations of the second half, by Ash’s race tips, I had decided to run this race by sheer effort, keeping it at a gentle long run degree, and let not be swayed by slowing down on uphills or the push of the loud cheers. Paces were staying around 5:45-6:15 with the planned effort which I was happy with. My sole aim being able to run through the course and not having to walk or worse still, get cramps or hit the proverbial wall. It was a bright sunny day, with almost windless and pleasantly cool, perfect weather to run but I also had to be aware of hydrating, fueling and taking salt capsules to avoid cramps and bonking. All this was done as per plan, one gel every 45min, a salt capsule every hour, and hydrating with 150-200ml water and Gatorade each which were there every two km approximately. Soft Flask in my hand was kept refilled for taking in with gels and the water stations where cups spilled to allow less intake.

I knew that the key to a comfortable and strong finish through the impending hard inclines was a well fuelled and hydrated me. 

I chugged along upto the first real climb after start, at midway on the Pulaski bridge, at 2h03, fairly conservative but as per plan for a 6min pace finish. Runners had started to walk on uphills, a temptation that I avoided and kept moving slowly keeping the effort as a goal, waiting for the downhill to compensate for the time lost. 

Queensborough bridge, a long and arduous climb with no crowds to cheer was the toughest one to face at that level of fatigue at 23-25k mark, but having been warned of it, made me feel stronger, as I grunted my way through it to enter Queens with loud cheers of the noisy crowds. The fatigue almost seemed to vanish but the cautious approach was maintained, not to overdo, as the rolling hills of second half were expected., which kept on coming relentlessly till the Manhattan, where a steady climb through the fifth avenue was expected. A bridge to Bronx for a brief run in that burrough with it’s musical bands, and a U-turn to return back into Manhattan led to the long and seemingly unending climb on the 5th Av, where it took the most of my mental energy to stay running on the course. A pleasant surprise of a shout out by JJ, who was visiting her daughter there, gave a much needed energy boost at this point. 

As I entered Central Park, the familiar trees, and loud cheer by the crowds got me back into the reality of soon finishing, in next 2 miles or so. The challenge of the dreaded elevations of the final miles inside the park were still on my mind and so the cautious approach remained. 

Although I could see many runners walking. At this point, while I passed them, for me, it stayed focused on maintaining my steady run, and knowing that Sanjana was going to be around in the crowd, cheering for me, I didn’t want to be seen walking. The daze and numb feeling of the last few miles of this gruelling course had me in a zone from where I could often imagine her shouts calling  out to me, but sadly missed it when she was actually doing so from the sidelines.

Last two miles were run strong and at the marker which said “400m to go”, I was running with my arms up in the air, tears of relief and accomplishment rolling down my  eyes and shouting out to myself, “Yess!!” Seeing that finish line, which I had so often visualised, felt surreal running through.

I was thrilled to be able to click a selfie with that iconic medal in my hand, having earned it with an effort, far slower than I was once capable of, but far stronger than what I was, before the start of this training cycle. The thrill and exhilaration of having successfully finished the most iconic and arguably the “toughest” of the world majors was yet to sink in. With no place to sit to recover, unlike in my earlier majors, I just walked through the long and winding Central Park roads, along with Abhimanyu, who had just finished his maiden marathon.

Although fatigued but with the energy of trimph, I was being guided by Sanjana’s calls and live location and was eventually thrilled and relieved to be greeted by her. 

A long and arduous walk back to the hotel followed to end what had started as my attempt to reclaim charge of myself as a successful Marathoner, something that I was losing faith and confidence in, over past couple of years. 

As I finish my 15th year since running my maiden marathon at the Auroville event in Pondicherry in Feb 2011, this race feels like a comeback and a beginning of sorts, of next phase of my tryst with this wonderful sport. 

What makes me really wonder at is the ironical coincidence of it all. My timing of 4h24min in this race, my 37th FM,  is exactly same as that in my very first attempt at this distance in Auroville, which I recall as my slowest, a foundation, from which I aim to rise again. 

As I move into this phase of resurgence, I aim to train better, stay focused on unattained goals and of course, remain fit and healthy as I not only achieve what I intend to, but also spread the goodness of this wonderful sport to those around me. 

This is the turnaround moment in my running journey I perceive, as I take the lessons learnt in the past into my next phase, achieve new targets and become a better runner, a better athlete and most importantly, a better human !!

An experience that can’t be put in numbers, the race timing split stats tell me that working on running better through the final miles and building up overall mileage, leg strength and endurance and overall mental confidence is what will be needed in the coming times. 

(5k-cumulative 29:11-pace 5:51, 10k – 57:39 – 5:46, 15k-1:27-5:49, HM-2:03:38-5:52, 32.2k-3:15-6:04, 37k-3:49-6:15, 42.2-4:24:22-6:16)

Positive takeaways:

1.⁠ ⁠Having stuck to a structured plan through the distractions over past months and successfully completing three marathons this year, with no significant injuries or other setbacks, and strength-mobility routines giving their benefits. 

2.⁠ ⁠Prospects of another few months till next summer of training in Pathankot, attempting to achieve greater goals. 

What I could have done better:

1.⁠ ⁠Trained under a coach with focus on achieving better results, instead of self-coaching.

2.⁠ ⁠Improved my body weight and composition towards ideal Racing weight.

Future targets:

1.⁠ ⁠Post Recovery,  gradually restart training, with a stronger HM target at NDM 2026, and then attempt to race a FM towards end of the year/early 2027 with ultimate goal of safely achieving BQ target of 3h30m. 

2.⁠ ⁠ With another two or three WMMs remaining (Sydney, Boston, and possibly Cape town) and add two domestic or other international FMs enroute to completing 42 Marathons before I reach age 60 (2030)!!