Yonkers Marathon
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The Yonkers Marathon is the second oldest marathon in the United States, second to the Boston Marathon. Known for its many hills it is considered by many runners to be one of the toughest marathons in the country. For this reason most elite runners avoid this race.
The Yonkers marathon (42.195 km) is typically held on the second Sunday in September. It is a double loop course which also stages a half marathon (21.1 km) and a 5 km race.
The first few kilometres (miles) of the race are very scenic, overlooking the Hudson River. However, the majority of the race is in urban industrial filled areas that are less than aesthetically pleasing.
Every year approximately 200 runners participate in the Yonkers marathon.
In 2006, the marathon and the half marathon were both started at 8:45am on September 17th. The race director announced that next year the race will start earlier at 7am or 7:30am to take advantage of the cooler temperatures. The 2006 course includes a 5 mile uphill at the start, plus two cliff-like downhills (one overlooking a cemetery). And after completing this difficult course at mile 13.1, the marathon runners get the privilege of running it again.
