New York City Marathon – Sharyn O'Halloran

The Course of the New York City Marathon

New York City Marathon pic — New York City Marathon
Image: tcsnycmarathon.org

An authority on political science, Sharyn O’Halloran serves as a professor at Columbia University. She is both a George Blumenthal Professor of Political Economics and a professor of international and public affairs. Outside of her career, Sharyn O’Halloran is a distance runner who has completed a number of organized races, including the New York City Marathon.

The 48th New York City Marathon took place on November 4, 2018. Long regarded as the standard for marathons in major metropolitan areas around the world, the New York City Marathon traverses all five boroughs of the city.

The 2018 marathon began on Staten Island and finished in Manhattan’s iconic Central Park. Beginning with its most challenging section, the course undergoes a rise in elevation of more than 150 feet as it traverses the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge.

From that point on, the majority of the course becomes relatively flat. However, runners encounter significant climbs near the end of the race as they reach the Queensboro Bridge and traverse downtown Manhattan.

A Brief History of the New York City Marathon

Sharyn O’Halloran, the George Blumenthal professor of political economics at Columbia University in New York, is a leading professional in topics relating to economic growth, international trade, and political representation of minorities. In addition to numerous publications, speaking at various seminars, and teaching, Sharyn O’Halloran is an avid marathon runner and was one of 16,211 runners accepted into the 2017 TCS New York City Marathon.

The TCS New York City Marathon began in 1970 and was organized by Vince Chiappetta and Fred Lebow. It was held entirely in Central Park and only had 127 entrants. Of those, just one was female, but she ultimately dropped out of the event due to sickness. The entry fee was $1, and the 55 who completed the marathon were given recycled bowling and baseball trophies and inexpensive watches to commemorate their success.

Within six years, the event had grown to include over 2,000 entrants and moved from Central Park to the city streets. The new course went through five boroughs in New York City and included five bridges. Miki Gorman and Bill Rodgers won the event that year and surpassed previous event records while doing so. In 1978, Grete Waitz, a Norwegian track Olympian, set the marathon world record of 2:32:30 at the event.

Today, the race continues to serve as an exercise in community spirit as it takes thousands of entrants through one of the most diverse cities in the world.

2017 TCS New York City Marathon Awards 16,211 Bibs to Registrants

A graduate of the University of California at San Diego’s doctoral program, Sharyn O’Halloran works as the George Blumenthal Professor of Political Economy and a professor of international and public affairs at Columbia University in New York City. An avid runner, Sharyn O’Halloran participates in numerous races. In early 2017, received acceptance into the 2017 TCS New York City Marathon.

When the first New York City Marathon began in 1970, runners raced entirely in Central Park. Participants paid $1 to enter the race, and winners received inexpensive wristwatches as well as recycled bowling and baseball trophies. Six years later, the race expanded its route to include the area’s five boroughs. Since then, the marathon has grown in number of runners and partnerships, including a collaboration with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), which joined the efforts in 2014.

In March 2017, runners found out if they were selected to run in the 2017 TCS New York City Marathon, scheduled for November 5. As the world’s largest marathon, it received the largest number of registrations in its history with 98,247. This represents a 20 percent increase compared to 2016. Of those who entered, 17 percent, equal to 16,211 runners, received a bib through a drawing. An additional 34,000 runners will garner entrance through other means, including running on behalf of a charity, achieving a qualifying time at a sanctioned race, or finishing nine New York Road Runner races and volunteering at one in a one-year span.