One of my favourite races, despite having a terrible run! The year I did it, it was warm and crowd support was brilliant. 

Take the ferry not the bus to the start. I lot of people report hanging around for hours in the freezing cold. Not me! I had originally booked to go on the 5.30 am bus but not being a fan of early rising, I set off a lot later and sneaked on the Stattern Island ferry at 7.30 instead. There is small print on your bib saying bus or ferry but no one checked. By the time I got there and queued for the loo, there was minimal hanging around. It was a really warm spell when I was there, so I didn't need the extra layers I brought.

Enjoy the race, don't chase a time. Go to the parade of nations and fireworks the Friday before the race and take your flag. The day after the race, go to Central Park early and pick limited edition finisher gear and goodies and souvenir copy of NY Times with your name in it. Wear your medal with pride and get it engraved for free at Jack Rabbit sports.