KEY POINTS:
New York is not the oldest, the fastest, nor the prettiest - but it is the greatest.
Of all the big marathons, New York reigns. Winning it carries a special premium, and the Big Apple puts on one hell of a party.
Runners take over the city, weaving through Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Manhattan on a 42.2km course heaving with two million bellowing, singing and dancing spectators.
About 90,000 people bid to take part each year, forcing organisers to use a lottery and qualifying times to decide the 38,000 starters.
It hasn't always been like this. The first race, 1970, drew a field of 127.
Now New York is THE race to be seen in.
Tour de France maestro, first-time marathoner Lance Armstrong heads the list of celebrity entrants.
For all the festivity and pizzazz, however, for purists the real fun is out front. Last year saw one of the closest-ever finishes with a sprint between two of the best of their generation, Paul Tergat (Kenya) and Hendrick Ramaala (South Africa). Tergat got there.
This year's favourites include Stefano Baldini (Italy), dubbed the "God of Marathon" for his Athens Olympics victory, American Olympic silver medallist Meb Keflezighi, and Tergat.
The women's field has four-time Boston and two-time Chicago winner Catherine Ndereba (Kenya), and defending champion Jelena Prokopcuka, of Latvia.
For New Zealanders, there are no greater champions than Kiwis Rod Dixon, who executed a brilliantly-timed assault on the leaders in 1983, and Allison Roe, for whom victory in 1981 came with a world-best time.
This year, about 40 New Zealanders are entered. Do not expect to see a Kiwi among the front-running men.
Nina Rillstone won't expect to win, but a top-10 finish would be a good result.
