Verrazano: Climb The NYC Marathon’s Biggest Hill

NYC Marathon Course Section: Verrazano Bridge Miles 0-2

The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge extends from the start line to the second mile and acts as the gateway from Staten Island to Brooklyn in the New York City Marathon. Running on it is privilege because it’s closed to pedestrian traffic the rest of the year. The bridge offers breathtaking views of the Statue of Liberty and downtown Manhattan on one side with Coney Island and the Atlantic Ocean on the other. Runners with blue and orange bibs divide the top deck while the green-bibbed runners take the bottom deck. This bridge is also the biggest hill in the whole course. Most runners are so excited they hardly notice it. The uphill acts as a good reminder to take it slow in the beginning.

Marathoners Rocking New York Song:

Track #2: Verrazano

Time: 2:28

Tempo: 180 bpm

Treadmill Elevation: 4.0

NYC Marathon Course Section:Miles 0-2

Sheena, the central character in Marathoners Rocking New York, revels in being one of the thousands of pilgrims embarking on the wild adventure that is the NY Marathon. It’s a fitting setting as it conjures the hopes and dreams of the generations of huddled masses who breached the Narrows when immigrating to the United States. Giovanni da Verrazzano himself was the first European explorer known to enter the harbor and cast his eyes on what would become one of the greatest, most influential cities of modern time. In the spirit of these travelers and her love of minimalism, Sheena sets off with nothing in her pockets and only her legs to carry her on the journey.

Download “Verrazano” on Itunes

 >> NEXT SONG/SECTION: DO IT LIKE JOAN (MILES 2-4)

Verrazano Lyrics

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CHORUS

Verrazano, Verrazano!

Verrazano, Verrazano!

VERSE 1

Leave behind a layer of clothing, show just a little more skin

I don’t need what I can’t carry.

Used a port-a-potty, ready to begin

CHORUS

VERSE 2

I have come to run this city, Central Park is reeling me in

Lady Liberty, lower Manhattan

Masses of pilgrims, ready to begin

CHORUS

VERSE 3

Awesome bridge, towering over us

Hold that energy, reel it in

Who starts a race with its biggest hill?

Swallowing anxiety, ready to begin

CHORUS

VERSE 4

Goodbye to Staten Island,

I’m coming for you Brooklyn

Queens, the Bronx and Manhattan

Let’s run this marathon, ready to begin

CHORUS

Marathoners Rocking New York is the rock’n’roll-fueled journey of a 70’s punk loving young woman named Sheena. She’s on the cusp of turning 30 with nothing to show for it. Her rock star dreams are not coming true. She succeeded at the downtown party lifestyle but not at keeping a band together. After stumbling on the New York City Marathon with friends, Sheena accepts a drunken dare to run it the following year. To her surprise, and everyone else’s she actually does the training (with a little help) and makes it to the start line on time.

Sheena runs the marathon without music, so Marathoners Rocking New York is the guitar-driven soundtrack going on in her mind as she navigates the course. The songs are influenced by the early punk movement in 1970’s New York with bands like the Ramones, Blondie, The Patti Smith Group, and Television. The album is in an excellent tempo for running playlists and a useful tool for marathon training that can be downloaded through iTunes.