Staten Island is a little world of its own.
The problem with Staten Island is that there are very little public transportation options connecting to the rest of the city. Even some parts of NJ are better connected to NYC that in Staten Island.
The NYC subways do not connect to Staten Island
The only mass transportation that gets us off this island is the super slow and inefficient Staten Island Ferry, and the S93 bus to Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. That bus has to deal with Verrazano Bridge traffic most of the time.
This poses a problem for the athletes here on Staten Island. Most runners here are satisfied with staying in the local area to race...and there are good races on Staten Island to keep them here year after year.
But Staten Island is isolated. I think the geography as well as the economics keep runners on the Island. Since it's an island, the only way off is through the bridges or the ferry, and we know how expensive the tolls can be just to get back on the Island. This keeps a lot of runners on the island.
What I appeal to runners here on Staten Island is that there is a huge world outside to explore and see! And running gives a great outlet to see things on a first-hand basis.
Great Memories
Here is one that ventured out of Staten Island to see the world, Chris Calimano:
One such Islander has been "out there" to see the world. Congrats go to Chris Calimano, who just finished the entire Four Deserts Series in one year. Above is Chris in Antarctica, the last desert.
He's been all over the world running, and has the memories to show for it.
Here's another Staten Islander who has transcended its boundaries:
Dan McSwiggan doing the Grand to Grand Ultra out west. He too has lasting memories to show for it.
One doesn't have to venture far off of Staten Island to soak in the outside world. We currently have four people venturing to the Philly Marathon this weekend! It's not an expensive road trip either. The race is quite cheap ($100-$140) and the trip only takes a couple of hours.
Better Competition
One big perk of venturing off of Staten Island is that you'll be competing with a larger pool of runners also. A larger pool of runners means better competition, and a better standard to measure your fitness up against. Staten Island has its share of good runners, but it's good to see how you stack yourself up with better competition. You can be the Big Fish in the Small Pond, but wouldn't you rather try to be the Big Fish in a Bigger Pond?
The Ironman series has always been good to measure yourself up against a national (and maybe international) crowd. This is no small pond we're talking about.
The Toughman Series will definitely bring a large region of athletes into their races. There could also be some athletes from outside the region competing too.
In the ultra category, the North Face Endurance Challenge will bring together a large pool of real good athletes. If you do well in these events, you're definitely a strong runner.
Staten Island has a good share of races, but most of the runners never venture too far outside its boundaries. It's a shame, because most of these runners are missing out on some memorable moments in these races, and never really improve their fitness by measuring themselves up against a larger group of athletes.
I know Staten Island tolls are expensive, but don't let that stop you from venturing to the larger, exciting world out there!
