Post# 17 7 days 15 h 53 m 50 s

Part 2
The race route is designed to touch all five boroughs, hence the start in Staten Island. But Staten Islanders are sorely short changed. Starting at the base of the bridge the route exits that borough and enters Brooklyn midway over the bridge. I doubt if we’re in Staten Island for a mile.
The route goes for a few short blocks as it turns and funnels the crowd onto Fourth Avenue. Fourth Av as we Brooklynites call it is an eight-lane boulevard with a concrete divider. It parallels New York harbor and the East river up to the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges. Normally traffic runs in two directions along the western edge of Brooklyn from Bay Ridge to Flatbush Avenue and the borders of downtown Brooklyn and the neighborhood of Fort Greene.
The crowds here do not quite reach the density of other sections of the route where people will be shoulder to shoulder for miles creating a gauntlet of clapping and a wall of cheers. Each neighborhood has its distinctions and the most memorable feature of Fourth Av are the garage bands. I use this term literally as various rock groups are set up in gas stations closed for the marathon. Unable to service their customers they provide a surging sound track to the race. This is still very early on and the mood upbeat and positive.
The runners separated by the divider on Fourth Avenue will cross Flatbush and all meet up on Lafayette Avenue, which heading East will lead them in front of BAM, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and into my hood, Fort Greene. It’s here that runners will see their first hill. It’s not much as hills go but this is the first time that when looking ahead I’ll see the road rising up in the distance. About six blocks up this road, at the eight and a half mile mark I’ll hit my corner, Lafayette Avenue and Adelphi Street. It’s here that I’ll be greeted by my own, personal, cheering squad of family, friends and neighbors. It’s a great feeling to come upon support, but it’s later that it will be needed most. The eight and a half mile mark feels like a jaunt and it will be that many miles again and then some before the wear and tear begins to set in.
to be continued...