I volunteered in the world’s largest marathon and help hydrate over 50,000 marathoners. It was a great experience! The New York Road Runners’ mission helps and inspires people through running, serves runners of all ages and abilities annually through races, community runs, walks, trainings, virtual products, and other running-related programming.

Let me take you to our trip!

First and foremost, date of arrival and departure is very important – that’s when you’ll start doing your itinerary! I booked the dates November 04 to November 07, 2022, which I knew a very short one for a big city, but I knew for myself that I would make the most out of it. As Dalai Lama said, “Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before”, so there we were, ready to explore New York City!

Let me introduce my newfound friends; Tiffany Barrett from Jamaica, and Akheel Nadaf from India. They also signed up as volunteers for the New York Road Runners Marathon, and that’s how I met them. All thanks to LifeTRAVELED(former World Wide Cultural Exchange)!

Day 1. Tiffany and I arrived around 06:00PM in LaGuardia Airport and went via bus to meet Akheel, then go to the Liberty View Brooklyn Hotel. I was surprised about the heavy traffic – it’s like Manila in the Philippines! One of the most popular things to do while visiting New York is to walk across the iconic Brooklyn Bridge. It is free, amusing, and perfect way to enjoy breathtaking skyline and river views! This is where we went on our first night after eating dinner. If you enjoy photography, you’re going to love capturing the bridge! You’ll find a lot of photo ops!

Day 2. We did the New York Bus City Tours the next day from TopView Sightseeing – the Unlimited Hop-on Hop-off. Their tours are created by a team of local experts who know NYC inside out. They’ve got New York City covered: Downtown, Uptown, as well as The Night Tour! Tours are narrated by an automatic GPS triggered system. They have English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, German, French, Korean, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, and Hebrew. It was so amazing! The narrative was excellent and very clear. Plus, they gave us lots of local history! If we had more time, we would have got off and explored, but unfortunately, we didn’t finish this tour because we went to have our Statue of Liberty Cruise operated by Big City Tourism (https://bigcitytourism.com/). Some of the key attractions we saw on the cruise are: the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, Freedom Tower, The Brooklyn Bridge, and Lower Manhattan. The tour is worth it! It is 90-minute cruise seeing the sites of NYC while being relaxed.

I strongly recommend starting it early and plan your trip ahead of time. Unlike us, we start our day around 11AM and needed to do the other trip in between the same day. We didn’t even know that the tour we purchased was only until 6PM. The guy who offered the bus tour told us that we could hop on and off until 8PM which was not true. Just be careful folks! It will be better to check their official website (https://www.topviewnyc.com/) to purchase tickets and see on going deals.

Day 3. Sunday, 6th of November 2022 was the day of the marathon. The weather was perfect for this fun day! Let’s go volunteers! We met Ms. Alex, one of the program coordinators from LifeTRAVELED. She also volunteered together with her husband, Billy. They’re so cool, friendly, and welcoming! Roots Café was our meeting place which is just few blocks from the Fluid Station where we were assigned to do the volunteering. Thanks for the breakfast provided by LifeTRAVELED!

We checked-in as soon as we arrived in the Fluid Station Mile 6. They gave us rain poncho to wear and instructions. By volunteering, we became part of the world’s largest marathon. We helped thousands of people fulfill a lifelong dream who had traveled from all over the globe to run the streets of New York City. Volunteers suddenly became the cheer squad for the runners. This marathon showed me that people can be extraordinarily positive and encouraging. Participants included people of all ages; some with disabilities. Some of them were even in wheelchairs! Everyone was eager to cross the finish line! It drizzled in the afternoon but only dampened clothes, not spirits. The energy and love everybody showed was massive and that’s what makes this marathon a special race!

The day was still young, so we decided to explore more after our lunch. We first went to our hotel to freshen up then to the Edge in Hudson Yards, a 100-stories-high observation deck, with a glass floor, bar, and 360-degree NYC views. The experience was awesome! If you want a panoramic view of the city, include this in your checklist! It is absolutely jaw-dropping! I recommend going at night so you can see the city lights. The area is surrounded by glass, so no view is a bad view! The three of us really enjoyed our “pictorial” here!

Next stop was Time Square. With its big screen TVs with so many colors, live music, and street performers, it was mesmerizing! There were lots of touristy things to buy too! WHAT-A-PLACE! This is also an iconic place that I am sure many people around the world dream about visiting at least once. Everywhere, lots of people are trying to make the best pictures for their Facebook and Instagram. If you want to have some “photography goals” kind of picture, there are some professional photographers in the area who pro-actively offer their service for a minimal fee.

Day 4. The morning of November 07, 2022 was my last day in New York City. I tried to think of something amazing to do nearby before my flight. Luckily there’s Industry City which is only 10 minutes’ walk from my hotel. They have a selection of foods, drinks, arts, and shops! I also went to Sunset Park after. You can see a view of the Statue of Liberty and Brooklyn neighborhoods from there, one of so many attractions that pulled me into the NYC. Definitely not a waste of time! My overall experience was culturally thrilling! For me, travelling is probably the best enriching thing you can ever do for your soul.

I deeply hope you enjoyed reading about my adventure and get inspired to make your own.

Additional Information:

1. At the day of marathon, wear comfortable shoes and bring a cap and sunglasses.

2. If you want to avoid heavy traffic, using the Subway is the one for you. It runs 24 hours a day and it’s the best way to get around NYC, plus, it is super affordable! We availed 7-day pass for unlimited ride rather than paying each ride. NOTE: The Subway might be a little confusing at first, but don’t get discouraged.

3. Always stay with your group. Don’t wander off by yourself!

Exchange Visitor Story: Edwin O' Neil Perey