New York Marathon 2014: Latest Weather Forecast, TV Schedule and More
Even in pristine weather conditions, there are few things in the entire world of sports more grueling than running a marathon.
Fortunately for those scheduled to compete in the 2014 New York City Marathon on Sunday, it doesn’t look like rain will be an issue. According to Weather.com, as of Saturday, there is a zero percent chance at rain on race day.
It’s still going to be cold, though, with a high of 49 degrees, a low of 34 degrees and wind gusts of up to 22 miles per hour.
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Here is a look at the start times for the event. Television coverage will begin at 9 a.m. ET on ESPN 2, with live streaming available on Watch ESPN.
| 8:30 a.m. | Wheelchair Division |
| 8:45 a.m. | Foot Locker Five Borough Challenge |
| 8:55 a.m. | Achilles Handcycle Category and Select Athletes with Disabilities |
| 9:10 a.m. | Professional Women |
| 9:40 a.m. | Wave 1 (including Professional Men) |
| 10:05 a.m. | Wave 2 |
| 10:30 a.m. | Wave 3 |
| 10:55 a.m. | Wave 4 |
The runners will start on the Staten Island side of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, make their way through all five boroughs and finish in Central Park. Seth Roberts of Masslive.com described the famous course in detail:
"The course begins in Staten Island near the approach to the Verranzano-Narrows Bridge. After climbing and descending the bridge, the runners enter Brooklyn running mainly on Fourth Avenue and Bedford Street for the first half of the race.
At mile 13.1, it crosses the Pulaski Bridge into Queens. At 15.6 miles, the runners cross the East River on the Queensboro Bridge, and enter Manhattan on First Avenue, where runners are greeted with a huge throng of spectators.
At 18 miles, the runners cross the Willis Avenue Bridge into the Bronx. A mile later, they return to Manhattan on the Madison Avenue Bridge. Running south through Harlem on Fifth Avenue the race turns into Central Park. At the southern end of Central Park, the race heads onto Central Park South to Columbus Circle. Runners then re-enter the Park to the finish line at The Tavern on the Green.
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The men’s field in the 2014 New York City Marathon is absolutely loaded with top-notch competition.
Dennis Kimetto is currently on top of the World Marathon Majors leaderboard after a record-setting performance in the Berlin Marathon. Kimetto also won the 2013 Tokyo Marathon and the 2013 Chicago Marathon and has been on an absolute roll.
However, he is not in the field given his lead in the standings, so there is an opportunity for some of the other runners to make a move.
The most notable runner to watch is Geoffrey Mutai, considering he won the past two New York City Marathons. He even set the course record in 2011 with a time of 2:05:06 (the 2012 event was cancelled because of Hurricane Sandy) and dominated the rest of the field in 2013 with an incredible stretch run.
If he demonstrates that type of closing speed again on Sunday, he could very well celebrate an amazing third straight New York City Marathon title. Nobody has won three consecutive times since 1980-82 when American Alberto Salazar accomplished the feat.
Another challenger to watch is Wilson Kipsang, who has never run in this event. He does count wins at the 2014 Virgin Money London Marathon and the 2013 Berlin Marathon to his resume, though, so that lack of New York experience may not be much of an issue.
As for the Americans, Meb Keflezighi won the Boston Marathon and is probably the best bet. He is still a long shot in such a deep field, but his performance in Boston should have fans of the stars and stripes excited about the prospect of an American competing for a top spot.
LetsRun.com discussed Keflezighi’s chances in realistic terms:
"Keflezighi’s clearly not the favorite in New York, but to count him out — even at age 39 — would be foolish especially after what he’s done in his career. What separates Keflezighi from someone like Mutai, Kipsang or Desisa is that he needs a certain set of circumstances to win the race. Can he get the perfect storm of circumstances? If the winning time is fast (2:06s or low-2:07s), Keflezighi isn’t going to be a factor.
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While the men’s side is certainly going to be an entertaining finish, some of the drama was sapped from the women’s side before the race.
For one, Rita Jeptoo, who has already clinched the World Marathon Majors crown with enough points after wins in the 2013 Boston Marathon, 2013 Chicago Marathon, 2014 Boston Marathon and 2014 Chicago Marathon, will not be in the field.
She recently failed a doping test, which puts the standings under something of a dark cloud for the time being.
What’s more, the defending New York City Marathon champion is also out of the field because of injury. Priscah Jeptoo suffered a setback in the London Marathon and won’t have the chance to defend her crown.
If nothing else, that means the 2014 edition is wide open for a number of competitors.
Mary Keitany of Kenya is a legitimate threat to take home the crown, although she has not run in a competitive marathon since the London Olympics and missed time for the birth of her child. She discussed her position heading into the race, according to Sports Network, via The Fresno Bee:
"My training has been going on very well. I have also had a chance to compete and test my body, but this will be the first major hurdle in my program to return to the top of marathon running.
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Keitany’s charge toward a potential victory is one of many impressive storylines that will entertain spectators and television viewers alike on Sunday.
Whether it is the top runners in the world challenging for the title, the celebrities running for causes or the weekend warriors pushing through boundaries, the New York City Marathon is an incredible spectacle and a testament to perseverance and athletic will.
That will certainly be the case yet again on Sunday.
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