Admire NYC Marathon - Love London

Just mentioned my entry to the 2010 NYC Marathon I received the 2009 certificate.
Being the biggest lover of the London Marathon I feel really ashamed that the benefit you get from the NYRR Club is so much better compared to London!

First and most important point is that with NYRR you can easily get in contact and receive capable, friendly and reliable response immediately. With London-Marathon there is no email contact provided. There is only a phone hotline which is not really qualified to help you.

NYC has a very transparent and fair entry system with a lottery and reliably qualified entries. London doesn't tell you anything about the way their lottery system works. London always sells itself as the best marathon of the world and a highly international event. But compare: NYC has 50% overseas runners, London has 7% overseas runners. Runners from abroad are just not welcomed by the organisers because they don't contribute to the charity system.

Anyway - every runner is welcomed by the crowd in London's city on race day! And that is what still makes me a fan of London Marathon. I look forward to running my 11th edition.

By the way NYC is one of the very few events that show your age graded time on the certificate. For a senior runner this makes a welcome confirmation of his personal performance.

Needless to say that in London you don't get posted a certificate nor a magazine showing the complete result list ... and it is full of photos and reports making a perfect remembrance of the big day. Big thanks to NY Road Runners Club and all their volunteers!

For more information on age grading look up Howard Grubb's website.