This morning, I ran the Jersey City Marathon – for the fourth time. I ran the inaugural race in 2023, and it’s become my go to spring race.
It’s close to home, so it doesn’t require significant travel. That also means there are lots of friends and acquaintances who either run, spectate, or volunteer. And frankly, there aren’t that many alternative spring marathons that I’d be interested in – other than Boston.
I haven’t had great luck here. Of the three previous times I ran, I bombed out on two. In 2023, I was fading towards the end and then pulled my hamstring around Mile 24. Last year, I was going strong through the half, but then my stomach gave out. My best race was 2024, when I faded slightly at the end but still pulled out a PR.
When I signed up, I was hoping this would be my chance to break 3:00. But winter training didn’t really go as planned, and long before I got to the start line I new that was unlikely. So I showed up determined to make the most of it – and see if I can at least escape with a halfway decent performance.
Here’s how it went.
Training Recap
At the end of 2025, I had a mild case of plantar fasciitis in my left foot. It flared up earlier in the fall, but it seemed to resolve itself pretty quickly. Then, it came back later in the fall. I was able to run through, but races and workouts seemed to aggravate it.
So after my last 5k in December, I dialed things back quite a bit for a few weeks. I reduced my mileage, dropped all of my workouts, and took it easy. Things improved, although periods of hard running still seemed to aggravate it. So I slowly ramped my mileage back up, but I resolved to wait a little while longer to start incorporating workouts.
Then we got hit with a big snowstorm and a deep freeze in January. I was stuck inside for a good long while, and while I kept my mileage up I couldn’t bring myself to do a real long run on the treadmill. We spent a week in Florida visiting family, and the heat made it tough to do a real long run there, too. And then we got walloped with another blizzard in February.
Once we got through all that, I realized it was already March, and I’d done very minimal workouts and long runs. It also didn’t help that I was hell bent on running every street in town before the marathon, so I sacrificed some potential workouts for longer runs over quite hilly terrain.
My mileage had been in the 60’s and 70’s, so that part wasn’t really a concern. I managed to work in a few workouts, including marathon paced tempos at two races (a ten mile race in March and a 10k the week before the race), and I got in an 18 and a 20 miler.
By early April, I was feeling pretty good. The last tempo at the 10k race was really comfortable at ~6:45-6:50/mi. If I had another month to get in a few more 18+ mile long runs and to work in some faster running, I probably would have been golden.
But alas, race day waits for no man. So this morning, it was time to make the best of it.
Race Morning and Logistics
After having learned my lesson the first year, I booked a hotel near the start so that I wouldn’t have to risk getting stuck in traffic. We stayed at the Courtyard again, and it’s super convenient. The front door is about a block from the start.
I woke up at 5, ate a bagel with honey, and sipped on a cup of coffee. I could hear the sounds of the race starting to pick up outside the hotel. When I peaked through the curtains, I could see a stream of people walking up towards the start.
Around 6:15, I popped outside for a few. I did a super easy jog over towards the start to loosen things up and get the blood flowing. I ran through the back of the corrals and walked back up through the lines in front of the porta potties. Somebody called my name, and I spotted a friend of mine (Kenny). We chatted for a minute, and then I made my way back to the hotel.
The bathroom lines were crazy this year. The race is bigger (~10,000 combined marathon and half marathon starters), and the lines looked worse than they did at Chicago. I think it might be time to add another bank of bathrooms to the start next year.
After a quick pit stop at the hotel – another reason to stay right there – I grabbed my gels and walked back outside with my wife. We saw my parents in the lobby, and then I jogged off to get in my corral. I did a couple quick strides on the way and popped into corral 3 right at 6:45. They said the corrals were going to close at that point – but they didn’t actually close them. It was about 6:55 when they removed the barriers between the corrals and started pushing people up towards the actual start line.
The weather report leading up to the race was a bit iffy. A week ago, it looked like it might be warm. We had some super hot days in the middle of the week, but things cooled off nicely. Until last night, there was also a chance of rain throughout the morning. But it held off. We had a few rain drops while we waited in the corrals, but otherwise it was a beautiful, breezy day in the 50’s.
The First 10k
At 7:00am, the race started and off we went. I had lined up in the back of corral 3, with the 1:30 (half marathon) pacer up ahead. I figured I’d take it out at a conservative pace (~7:00-7:15) for the first mile or two and see how things felt.
They felt surprisingly good. The first few hundred meters were tight, between the start and some road construction. But once things opened up I was cruising along. I passed my wife and my parents early in that first mile and then I settled in. I didn’t have any teammates running a similar pace this year, so I was on my own from the start.
I spotted the first mile marker and lapped it – 7:01. Hey, not bad. And everything felt good. The first couple miles meander through downtown, and I took in the crowd for a bit. I missed the mile marker for mile 2. We took a left turn a pair of left turns onto Sixth Street and Grove Street, and somebody behind me almost ran into the line of thin traffic bollards. I spotted the mile 3 marker, hit the split button, and the last two miles were 13:55. Right where I wanted to be.
At this point, there’s a little out and back before we head in to the park. Things open up a bit here, and I was really comfortably cruising. A guy came up alongside me and recognized me from the Cherry Blossom 10k last week (hey Juan!). After we turned around to head north, I spotted a few of my teammates who were also running (hey Nancy and Liz!). We exchanged cheers and I kept it moving. I missed a lap here, but when I lapped at mile 5 it read 13:51 for the previous two miles.
Here, we turned right towards the park. I had skipped the first aid station, and this was next opportunity to take my first gel. The crowd thinned out here, but we got a view of the Statue of Liberty off to our left. The 6 mile marker came up quicker than I expected, and I split 6:54. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all. I started to entertain the idea that I was going to have a good day.
Through the Half
Although I was cautiously optimistic, I was waiting until the halfway point to decide just how well the day was going. I kept cruising along through the park, ticking off the miles. The next one was 6:55, nice. That was followed by a 7:10, not so nice. That one involved an incline, though, and I got back on track. We passed through another aid station around here somewhere, and I took a second gel to get back on track.
Once we got to the southernmost part of the course – about 8 miles in – we headed back north for a long slog along Garfield Ave. This section has some rolling hills, but the first time you run through it I think they’re more downhill and than uphill.
Somewhere around here, I heard someone yell my name. I looked over and saw a friend I used to work with when I was a teacher (hey Libby!). She and her husband were runners, so I figured he was out there somewhere. I cheered back and kept it moving. I missed a split here, but the next two miles (9 and 10) were in 13:44. I glanced at my estimated finish time on race screen, it was hovering around 3:01 or 3:02.
Eventually, we came to the end of Garfield Ave and turned east towards downtown. The crowds here were amazing, and there was plenty of energy. They were blasting music and cheering us on. Around mile 12, there’s a big aid station and I choked down my third gel – a chocolate one which was oddly thicker than the other two. My stomach wasn’t feeling great, and I briefly flashed back to last year. But it wasn’t terrible, and I resolved to stop at the next aid station if it got worse.
Miles 11 and 12 were 13:57. So a titch slower. But part of that was jogging through the aid station while I managed the gel. Somewhere in this stretch, I passed a group of people who yelled, “Running with Rock! We love your blog!!!” It was one of several shout outs I got along the course.
We turned up into downtown, and I could see the Westin up ahead. That’s a good landmark that’s about a quarter mile south of the start. I passed my family here and gave them a big wave and a fist bump. When I ran through the half, I glanced down at my watch and saw the elapsed time – around 1:31:30.
At this point, I still felt surprisingly good. My legs were feeling a little heavy – but my breathing was good and I still felt like I was cruising along pretty comfortably. Sub-3:05 (a nominal BQ and a PR) could still be in the books.
Through Mile 19
This part of the course gets a bit goofy. After the half marathoners split off and finish, the marathon heads north for a little roundabout that tacks on some mileage. I passed by an aid station and grabbed a cup of Gatorade. Did a mental check on my gut and decided I was good to go.
I missed the mile 13 lap, but I lapped mile 14. The two mile split was 14:06. A little bit slower. Uh oh. But if I could still cruise along in the low 7:00’s I’d be fine.
At this point, we ran back past the start and saw the marathoners trailing behind us. I was scanning the crowd, and Kenny spotted me first. Exchanged cheers. Then, my friend’s husband (hey Arvin!) also called my name. He was cruising along around 3:20 or 3:30 pace. Nice!
For the next few miles, I kind of got lost in the crowd. Or maybe they were all blocking the mile markers. But I managed to miss four in a row. Somewhere around mile 15, I passed my family again. I was still feeling – and looking – pretty strong. The course meanders out of downtown with a couple cutbacks, and I kept glancing at my watch to spot check my pace.
In retrospect, I was looking at the wrong spot on the Race Screen data screen. I was glancing at the overall average pace – not the instantaneous pace. So I thought I was still cruising along at just under 7:00.
Around mile 16 or 17, a guy was standing on one of the corners cheering. I heard him say, “You got this Rock!” I think he said something about the blog. I didn’t recognize him, so probably a reader. Hey there – whoever you are! The motivation helped (for a bit).
Eventually we turned back onto Grand Street to start the final loop out of town. For a brief period, this doubles up with the people finishing up the first loop. I heard someone call my name, and I spotted a friend of mine from West Orange (hey Lori!). Later, somebody else called out, “Mr. Rock!” I looked up and saw one of my old students (hey Depts!). I knew he was running, but I hadn’t seen him earlier in the morning when I jogged through the start corrals.
When we turned south on Garfield, I was ready for a long slog. This was the rolling hills section again. I don’t know if it’s because it comes at the end of the race or if it’s actually tougher, but it feels like the inclines are more significant when you run this section going south.
After missing a bunch of mile markers, I spotted mile 19. The crowd was thinner here, and that helped. I hit the lap button, and the split (for five miles) was 37:19. I was puzzled, because I thought I was still cruising along around 7:00/mi. That’s when I realized I was looking at the wrong part of the screen, and I’d really been doing ~7:20/mi.
Oops.
The Long Slog to the Finish
I don’t know if it was the hills, the distance, or the mental realization that my pace was slipping. But it started to get worse from here on out.
The next mile was a pretty lengthy – albeit not too steep – incline. I lapped mile 20 in 8:00. Eugh. My gut was also feeling a bit off, but it wasn’t too urgent. I resolved to stick it out until the next aid station. I also resolved to skip the last few gels and just take Gatorade when it was available.
When we finally hit the southernmost point and turned left, I was thankful to be back on the way towards the start. Miles 21 and 22 were pretty slow – 7:48 and 7:59. But I hadn’t totally collapsed. I kept on jogging, even as the wind kicked up and started to blow in our face.
That stretch through the park feels so quick and effortless in the first half of the race. It feels like it goes on forever in the second half. I could see One World Trade off in the distance, peaking out between the clouds. It seemed to linger there forever and never get closer. We passed an aid station around mile 22, and I grabbed some more Gatorade. Eventually, we passed by the Liberty Science Center and I knew it was about time to re-enter downtown.
People were slowly passing me, and every once in a while I’d try to latch on to one and keep it moving. One of the guys I know from the local racing circuit (hey Hugo!) came up behind me, we chatted for a second, and then I waved him on. Mile 23 was decent – 7:34 – but by mile 24 I was worn down. I lapped that in 8:07.
I had held out hope for a sub-3:10 finish, but at this point I resolved to just jog it in under 3:15. If I could make it to Mile 25, I’d be able to push through that final mile.
We turned right onto Grand Street, and the thick crowds there gave me a little boost. Brick City Run club gave me a shoutout – go Essex! – and I passed by the group of blogger fans again. But in between those surges, I was struggling. Mile 25: 8:27.
Finally, I had just over a mile to go. I picked up the pace slightly. I spotted Hugo ahead of me, and I could see he was pulling up with a cramp. I caught up with him with a half mile to go, and this time he waved me on. The closer we got to the finish, the more I picked up the pace (slightly).
With about 100m to go, I heard somebody come up on my left and yell, “Let’s go blogger dude!” So I turned on the jets, sprinted that last stretch, and crossed in 3:12:20. I high fived that guy at the end, and he was excited because he BQ’d. He didn’t look much older than me, but I guess he was in the 45-49 age group (3:15 BQ).
Post Race
I stopped and took a selfie at the finish. Then I waited another minute or two for Hugo to cross, and I congratulated him. After that, it was time for the long walk out the finishers chute.
I grabbed a medal, took a picture, and was handed a bag of goodies. I was so thirsty, and I started downing the Gatorade water. This is the kind of weather where you get dehydrated and don’t notice until the end. I wasn’t cold when I finished, so I passed up the blanket. Maybe not the smartest decision.
Halfway through the finishers chute, my wife caught up to me on the other side of the fence. I handed the goodie bag over and kept the water. It felt like the temperature had suddenly dropped, and the wind was kicking up fierce. I shambled around the fence, and we caught up with my parents.
We chatted a bit, and as we headed for the hotel I realized one of my teammates was about to finish. I waited outside for a few minutes, and she cruised by to a 3:43 finish. At age 59 (!) that was a solid BQ. And this was her first marathon. Awesome job, Nancy!
I was freezing by the time I wandered into the hotel lobby. I went upstairs for a shower, met up with my family for lunch, and then I took a nice long nap. We had a 4PM late checkout from the Courtyard, and by the time we pulled out of the parking garage (~3:30), traffic had cleared up and we had a clear shot to get home.
Reflections and What’s Next
At the end of the day this wasn’t my best race – and it definitely wasn’t my worst. Considering my relative lack of preparation, I’m happy enough with the results.
On the one hand, I ran ~1:31 through the half (again), which I’ve now done several times. My average heart rate throughout was a ~155-156, which is well within marathon pace effort for me and below threshold. If I had had the chance to get in those long runs and build up some more late-race stamina, I think I would have been golden for a low-3:00 or sub-3:00 finish.
But as it was, my legs just gave up in the last stretch. I don’t think the issue was aggressive pacing this time, and I kind of feel like I would have faded late even if I had taken it slower in the first half.
I’ll take it easy for a few weeks, and then there are some local races coming up in May and June. I’m on the fence about what to do for a fall marathon. If I want to run Boston in 2027 – which I was hoping to do – I’ll have to do a last chance race like Erie. On the other hand, I’m going to be super busy over the summer and fall with my campaign for Mayor, so I might hold off and run Philly in November … or skip the fall marathon all together.
I’m going to let it simmer for a week before I make a decision. But this was a relatively decent race after two consecutive marathoning disasters – I crashed out at Twin Cities this fall due to the heat – and I’m hopeful for the future. It may actually be a good idea for me to skip the fall race, focus on shorter races and speed, and try gain next year in April.
But we’ll see. That’s the logical approach. And runners aren’t always logical.