Volunteers from the 2016 cheering station interacting with NYC Marathon runners (Queens Centers for Progress)
Nov. 1, 2018 By Nathaly Pesantez
A cheering station will once again be set up in Long Island City to support the thousands of runners in this weekend’s TCS New York City Marathon.
The station, run by the Queens Centers for Progress and other borough organizations, will be set up at 44th Drive and 21st Street in Court Square from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Nov. 4.
A large “Welcome to Queens” sign will be put up at the section, where volunteers can sign up to ring cow bells and whistles, shake pompoms, and make noise for the runners passing through the neighborhood.
The station sets out to energize runners almost immediately after they pass the Pulaski Bridge—the race’s halfway point—from Brooklyn into the world’s borough, and to create a memorable experience for them in Queens.
The Queens Economic Development Corporation, one of the station’s organizers, told the LIC Post last year that Queens tends to be the point where runners are in most need of a boost precisely because it’s just past the 13.1 mile mark.
“When you go into Queens you’re about exactly halfway, and runners say that that’s exactly when things go bad,” said Rob MacKay, director of public relations for the Queens Economic Development Corporation. “The adrenaline and early energy have left, and you realize you have all this time to go.”
The station, in its fourth year, tends to see about 70 volunteers in shifts, and is one of several set up at various points along the route by fans and organizations alike. To sign up to volunteer, visit QCP’s online sign-in page.
Long Island City is the only Queens neighborhood that marathon runners pass through before reaching Manhattan by way of the the Queensboro Bridge in the 26.2 mile course.
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One Comment
I’m setting up my own cheering station.
However, instead of cheering I’ll just shout unintelligible comments about Hillary’s emails at passersby.