There's no shortage of treats at the ING New York City Marathon Health and Fitness Expo. Adults and kids alike are getting into the Halloween mood with costumes, freebies, and orange gear. It's hard to tell which pumpkins are excited about the ghouling tonight and which ones are running the ING New York City Marathon. Either way, they look great in orange. The Empire State Building will be following suit with orange, blue, and white lights on Sunday night to celebrate the marathon. Look up and enjoy the orange glow!

 

In the spirit of Halloween, and to provide comic relief for NYRR staff and volunteers (who have been working literally around the clock to prepare for Sunday), the registration team designed a ChronoTrack D-Tag (the new timing device used to score the race this year) costume.

NYRR IT director Ken Winnell danced around the expo in the getup.

Legendary runner and two-time ING New York City Marathon champion German Silva will be talking with author and New York Times writer Liz Robbins at 3:00 p.m. at the NYRR booth inside the expo today. You can ask all your pressing questions about the race as well as get Robbins' book, A Race Like No Other: 26.2-Miles Through the Streets of New York, signed. Be part of the action at the New York Road Runners booth all day. Pick up Fred Lebow pins, postcards, and the official 2009 race poster while you're there!

Lingering showers couldn't dampen spirits this morning at the Continental Airlines International Friendship Run, an annual celebration of the way running unites people around the world, presentation of the Abebe Bikila Award, and 2.5-mile fun run from the United Nations Plaza to Central Park. Marathon runners hold flags, don their country's traditional clothing, or dress up in brightly colored costumes--not so unusual on Halloween--and jog easy before tomorrow's 26.2-mile effort.

Nine-time champion of the New York City Marathon, chairwoman of NYRR Youth Programs, and running ambassador Grete Waitz presented the Abebe Bikila Award, which honors running legends who promote the sport, to former NYRR president and technical whiz Allan Steinfeld.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The legendary Grete Waitz poses for a photo with NYRR's director of Event Management and Logistics, Paul Ortolano.

The ING New York City Marathon 2009 in the news:

• Radcliffe says New York record can be broken [Reuters]
• The city's rhythms suit Radcliffe [NY Times]
• Radcliffe goes for a 4th win; then maybe a 2nd baby [Guardian]
• Keflezighi says he's not ‘over the hill’ just yet [San Diego Union Tribune]
• The unemployed have time to train [Bloomberg]
• Joan Benoit Samuelson speads environmental message [USA Today]
• Keeping 'em running [NY Post]
• ER star Anthony Edwards to run [CNN]
• Track your friends on Marathon day [NY Times]
• Roving Runner: the Marathon's last ten miles [NY Times]
• Marathon celebrates 40th running [WNYC]
• Which celebrities are running [Huffington Post]
• Fall back for the 40th [Gothamist]
• World-class field set for 40th running [CoolRunning]
• TNT show 'Men of a Certain Age' sponsoring cheer zone [Multichannel News]