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The New York City Marathon<\/a>, like the city it takes over each fall, is as vast as it is vibrant; as loud as it is chaotic; and more than a little daunting, too.<\/p>\n No marathon is easy. But an air of unpredictability lingers over the five boroughs, with hopefuls humbled, and favorites frustrated, as they embark on a challenging 26.2-mile tour of the city.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m really scared,\u201d Olympic champion Sifan Hassan, who has won the London, Chicago and Sydney marathons, told reporters on Friday. Throughout her life, she said, people have told her that New York \u2013 which she is about to race for the first time \u2013 is \u201cso hard\u201d.<\/p>\n Hassan will headline Sunday\u2019s race alongside Eliud Kipchoge, often hailed as the greatest marathoner of all time, who is also making his debut in the city. Both ran the Sydney marathon, which Hassan won, just nine weeks ago.<\/p>\n New York City is no place for world records, or meticulously-crafted race plans. On the first Sunday of November, a blank canvas is stretched around the world\u2019s biggest stage. At the front of a 55,000-strong pack of runners, expectations quickly fall by the wayside.<\/p>\n Some World Major marathons, like Chicago and Berlin, are famously flat and fast. New York, with five bridges along the course and an undulating finale through Central Park, is an altogether different beast.<\/p>\n Fiona O\u2019Keeffe was not interested in chasing records or beating the clock this time around. \u201cWhat I was looking for this fall was just a really competitive race,\u201d she explained in an interview. \u201cRacing is the fun part of what we do.\u201d<\/p>\n And so, early on Sunday, O\u2019Keeffe will line up among a stacked elite field on Staten Island with an open mind. \u201cAnything can happen on race day,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n When it comes to the marathon, few know this better. In February 2024 O\u2019Keeffe won the US Olympic Trials with a stunning debut<\/a> that raised high hopes for the Games last summer. She was forced to withdraw<\/a> about a mile into the race in Paris, however; scans would later reveal a femoral stress fracture.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just interesting \u2013 having experienced the very high-high of the trials, and then obviously my Olympic experience was pretty rough,\u201d O\u2019Keeffe told the Guardian. \u201cSo I think I\u2019ve seen both sides of the coin now.\u201d<\/p>\n