Meb Keflezighi shares 1 NYC Marathon tip and reveals the course’s most deceiving miles

In New York City, it can sometimes help to know a guy. When running the NYC Marathon, it will always help to know Meb Keflezighi.

Because Meb knows how to run New York.

A four-time U.S. Olympian, Keflezighi has struggled and succeeded on the 26.2 miles between Staten Island and Central Park. In 2002, he made his first marathon start in New York, famously insisting he was done with that distance after a grueling day on the roads of the Big Apple. In 2009, he became the first American man to win the NYC Marathon in 27 years.

“You’re a winner if you’re doing the New York City Marathon because that’s the capital of the world,” Keflezighi told SB Nation ahead of his career-concluding appearance in 2017. “That’s the best marathon in the world, I believe.”

Before running his 26th and final competitive marathon, Keflezighi shared his top tip for New York runners with SB Nation:

My advice is just to enjoy the ride of the five boroughs. But don’t get too excited, which is very hard to do, on First Avenue, mile 16. Just save something for Central Park because you want to take it in, all the beautiful trees and scenery and the crowd because if you get out of your comfort zone before that then you’ll be in trouble. Marathons are about patience. New York and Boston usually have to test that patience to see if you can go according to your training and make a good move. And whatever pace that you’re going, you want to save something for the end.

The 42-year-old also talked about the obstacle hidden in plain sight facing runners as they begin the scenic final stretch near the northeast corner of Central Park:

It is a hill. It’s deceiving. Central Park and Fifth Avenue, it’s deceiving. When you’re walking around Manhattan, it’s not big deal. But after running 22-23 miles, it’s a hill—more of a mountain than a hill.