Newbie marathoners, or those doing the New York race for the first time, will find inspiration wherever they turn this week. When I ran the race in 2006, I was the dork with a huge smile plastered on my face after I picked up my bib. I don’t think I lost that grin until race-day nerves hit at dawn on Sunday. Will you be uncharacteristically chatty, silly, or even stunned at the expo? I’ll be people watching to catch the best expressions and spontaneous moments on my memory card.

To fulfill your curiosity...

...37% of our marathoners this year will be first-timers.

...to no surprise, 63% are back at the 26.2-mile distance, ready for more!

If my earlier post about the rain didn’t make you smile, one of these ideas should:

• Bumping into (with luck, not literally) thousands of runners from across the world at the expo. If shopping is your shtick, there’ll be plenty to see, touch, and purchase. If not, you can snack your way from booth to booth (just don’t try too much of anything that’s foreign to your system), pick up your official 2009 race poster at the NYRR booth, and fill your bag with free goodies.
• Doing your final preparatory run in one of this city’s awe-inspiring parks. Dreaming of Central Park? Get out there this week; just watch your footing on the slick roads today. Never been to Brooklyn’s Prospect Park? Print a trail map to keep your run short, but you’re sure to fall in love with this oasis in New York’s most populous borough. Staying near the Bronx? Check out Van Cortlandt Park—site of NYRR cross country races and some of the best trails north of Manhattan.

What's tougher, crossing the ING New York City Marathon finish line, or BUILDING the ING New York City Marathon finish line? You be the judge.

On Monday, Team for Kids had its final pre-marathon group training run. As they have every Monday evening since June, "Team Green" gathered with their coaches in Central Park, ready to run. Over the months these Monday workouts have included lots of hard stuff--hills, tempo, intervals.

But tonight was, in Coach Tony Ruiz's words, a "no-pressure" run. "The hay is in the barn," he told his charges, who were joined by half a dozen speedy-looking kids from the Rabbits Club USA, one of the many running programs supported by TFK's fund-raising efforts.  

TFK provides its members with world-class coaching, great camaraderie, and lots of race-day perks. The team is aiming to raise $4 million this year in the fight against childhood obesity. So give them a cheer on race-day--and next year, think about joining Team Green yourself.

As evidenced by feedback from readers in weekend editions (and in Mary Wittenberg's eloquent blog posted here), the New York Times really struck a nerve with its story last week about slow marathoners. Although that piece reflected some unfairly harsh views on so-called "plodders," there's no doubt about the New York Times' devotion to its hometown marathon.

In addition to race coverage through the week, the newspaper is hosting a fascinating TimesTalks conversation—Legends of the Marathon—Thursday evening at 6:30 p.m. Those Legends include Grete Waitz, nine-time winner of the ING New York City Marathon; Deena Kastor, American marathon record-holder; and Joan Benoit Samuelson, the first women's Olympic gold medalist in the event. Talking with Times Well columnist Tara Parker-Pope (who is running her first marathon Sunday), the Legends should offer up something for everyone—each of them has a down-to-earth approachability that's as remarkable as their records. Tickets are available on the TimesTalks website.

This week the Times is also running a FAQ blog about the marathon by reporter Liz Robbins, who wrote the book "A Race Like No Other: 26.2 Miles Through the Streets of New York." (We're pleased to report, Robbins often directs questioners to the NYRR website for the real scoop!) All marathoners—even those of us who are proud "plodders"—can read all about it.

It's a cold, rainy morning in Midtown and I've squeezed into the very back seat of one of the pro athlete vans headed for Tavern on the Green. We're on our way to the first of several media news conferences of the week, starring defending champion Marilson Gomes dos Santos.

Marilson, his vivacious wife Juliana, an accomplished 1500-meter runner, and their two friends chat in rapid Portuguese, giggle, and fiddle with digital cameras and cell phones like teenagers. Their energetic banter shows that traveling to New York and taking part in the city's marathon--even if it's for the fourth time--ceases to lose its charm.