Bonus: 1959: The Cherry Tree Marathon

The direct precursor to what we know now as the NYC Marathon took place in only one borough, the Bronx. It took place annually in February, which some years had runners running in horrible, blizzard-like conditions. The Cherry Tree Marathon was named after George Washington, with the marathon held in February to celebrate his birthday. The marathon was started by what is now known as the New York Road Runners in 1958. The NYRR started as a 40-member group, whose membership currently is in the tens of thousands.

The route for the Cherry Tree Marathon began in Macombs Dam Park near Yankee Stadium. The runners would go up through Sedgwick Avenue and back down again, looping three times and finishing where they started at Macombs Dam Park. The marathon was held from 1959 to 1970, the first year of the modern NYC Marathon.

Read more about how the current marathon route came about and about the Central Park statue that moves once a year just for the marathon

He has got new running shoes and needs to burn off all that pizza he has been consuming before winter, to him get a move on, contact the author @ChrisLInoa