Emerald nuts midnight new years run 2009

What an experience! The race started with the new years countdown to midnight and with fireworks overhead Shammy and I with over 1000 other runners started nudging our way to the starting line.
I was so damn happy to get that race started. The bus arrived about 2 hours before the race, enough time for the icey sleet to work its magic on our bodies so that I could no longer feel my toes, nose or fingers. Shammy and I were jumping around for 20 minutes among the runners with our lighter running gear on trying to keep warm.
There are definitely some keen runners in New York they started flocking in about 20 minutes before the race, even a group of girls whose only attire was bra and undies (now thats chilly!). The ground was coated with a nice sheen of snow making it very slippery underfoot, this didn't seem to worry many people and I kept on telling myself all these people are running fast and no ones falling so why should you be any different.
It took a bit of time to clear the start and crowds at the beginning but Shammy and I ran the 4 miles well, coming in around 34 mins with Shammy half a minute in front of me. We even had spectators hi-fiving us and trying to offer us champas :).


Our friends Raj and Pallavi came as well and they walk/ran the course stopping off at the half way mark for some apple cider, we were impressed that they even made the effort to come. Once we were back on the bus we had a glass of bubbley to celebrate. A long but fun night, we got back to the parking lot at 4am to bundle ourselves up again and make the drive home. Exhausting but I'd definitely do it again, and the group of runners we went with were good value.