Part 3
The route continues to wind its way through Brooklyn. With every neighborhood, the cheering crowds change to reflect the ebb and flow of religious, ethnic and cultural makeup of the city. Fort Greene has its diverse populace, Clinton Hill / Bedford-Stuyvesant predominately African American, Williamsburg a strange mix of Hasidic and hipster culture, Greenpoint Polish and more hipster, each block offers a unique window onto the fabric of the city and a distillation of the makeup of our country. I won’t break into “God Bless America” but this has to be the single greatest feature of running New York City. United by the event, everyone comes out to cheer and show their support for a crowd of strangers whose makeup is as diverse as their own, participating in an event they may never think to attempt themselves.
Around mile 13 via the Pulaski Bridge we’ll cross into Queens. This is also the halfway mark and at my pace just about the time that the front-runners will be crossing the finish line. I’ve often remarked that if I were to run just one mile as fast as I can it would not be as fast as these athletes average over the course of 26.2 miles. And they’re marathoners not sprinters.
to be continued...
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