Hotels Gear Up for NYC Marathon
The world’s largest marathon returns to New York City this weekend and runners aren’t the only ones getting prepped. Businesses and hotels across the city are gearing up for an exciting weekend filled with renowned athletes, special events and more.
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This year, the New York City Marathon will kick off on Sunday, Nov 3 with participants racing through all five boroughs of the city. And for months, hotels along the race route have been preparing for over 50,000 runners and spectators, offering up lavish relaxation packages and discounts. Runners staying at LUMA Hotel Times Square (just steps from the finish line) enjoy things like a complimentary gym pass and fresh juice, while Langham Place, New York is offering discounts on their luxurious spa treatments. In 2017, runners could stay at two Ritz-Carlton properties (one is no longer a Ritz-Carlton) with their NYC Marathon package. Guests arrived at the Battery Park location, right near the start of the race, and received a welcome package, complete with energy gels and a muscle roller. Once they crossed the finish line, they’d check in at the Ritz-Carlton Central Park location to receive their recovery meal and post-race massage.
History of the NYC Marathon
As the largest marathon in the world, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the NYC Marathon has a pretty rich history, filled with firsts and broken records. The first New York Marathon took place in 1970 with an entry fee of $1. The race saw just 127 registered runners, with 55 finishers. Over the years, the race gained more and more attention, with 24,659 finishers in 1989 and over 30,000 in 1997. Today, the NYC Marathon remains the largest with over 50,000 finishers. The course records are held by Geoffrey Mutai (2:05:05) and Margaret Okayo (2:22:31).
Speaking of races…
Three of the McConnell Marketing team members just participated in the Youngstown Half Marathon this past weekend! Their main takeaways: (1) hills aren’t fun and (2) Mill Creek MetroParks is absolutely beautiful in the fall. The rest of our team spent the day manning their decked out Ohio State water table, complete with OSU marching band music & blow-up décor.
No matter the time of year, hotels are always looking for ways to capitalize on area events. If your property needs help creating packages or promotional materials to boost bookings during upcoming events, send us an email!
