Ready, Set, Run!: The Amazing New York City Marathon

by Leslie Kimmelman, Jessie Hartland (Illustrator)

A lively nonfiction picture book about runners preparing for, and racing in, the New York City Marathon, perfect for fans of Balloons Over Broadway and The Philharmonic Gets Dressed .

All over the world—on city roads and country lanes, on beaches, high in the mountains, across fields, in sun, rain, and late at night, people get ready to race. It’s a BIG DEAL to run in the New York City Marathon!
In this energetic and ever-so-fun nonfiction picture book about the world's most famous race, readers follow runners from all over the world as they stretch, make their playlist, eat a spaghetti dinner, and then pound, pound, pound through the five boroughs of New York City, all the way to the finish line.
With fun facts throughout ("Since 1979, a high school band stationed at Mile 9 plays the “Rocky” theme song again and again until the last runners go by"), this is an exhilarating, inside-view of what it entails to run the world's largest marathon.

Genres: Picture Books, Sports, Nonfiction, Childrens, New York, History

40 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2023

Reviews

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed learning interesting facts about the New York City Marathon. How old was the youngest and the oldest runner? What do people do to prepare for the race? At what mile do runners usually “hit a wall”? Find the answers to these and more. Written simply enough for any age to understand and interesting topic for all ages.

[John Mullarkey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leslie Kimmelman has written a fact filled, and fun nonfiction picture book that covers one of the great annual New York City events. The illustrations by Jessie Hartland are lively and colorful and express many of the unique visuals that are a part of the race. It is a great example of narrative nonfiction as a great story to share with a class or group. The story of the race and its growth as being a small running/racing club, to that of being a world-class event with tens of thousands of participants is a story in itself. Placing it in a metropolis like the New York's five boroughs and attended by 2 million spectators makes it colossal "happening" that comes with many quirks and colorful traditions and procedures many of which are included in the book. Whether one yearns of running a marathon, 5K, or just a mile or two around the block, this is a terrific story that is both entertaining and informative.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Softly colored gouache illustrations complement an engaging and lively introduction [3.5 for me] to this 26.2-mile race, first run in 1970 and cancelled only twice during its existence. The text effectively builds suspense by describing the preparations runners make the night before the race as well as their morning routine. An Extra! feature on various pages provides interesting tidbits and history of the race. A colorful gatefold highlights the many runners who are at the starting gates for the race with four pages repeating the word "pound" in pink font 48 times, an effective technique that gets across the idea that these runners will be pounding the city's pavement for several hours. The text and artwork immerse readers in this unique experience as they soak up vicariously New York City's unique flavors, energy, and personalities, becoming part of the crowd of onlookers urging these racers on to the finish line. Anyone interested in learning more and perhaps making plans to participate in future years will want to check out the Selected Sources and read the Author's Note in the back matter. In the front matter, there's even a map showing the path across the city's five boroughs that the runners will traverse, and an enticing double-page spread on the title page that shows only the calves, ankles [covered by white socks with four-leaf clovers], and feet [encased in orange running shoes, of course!], allowing readers to make note of the importance of those body parts for this particular activity. Arguably, it takes quite a lot of heart to finish this race, especially since the last portion is all uphill. Whew! I felt exhausted and in need of a warm, healing bath and a restorative massage just from reading this title, a solid addition to a school or classroom library, especially for lovers of NYC or those who enjoy physical activity or pushing themselves to reach challenging goals.

[Read Ribbet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kimmelman and Hartland effectively capture the anticipation, participation, and celebration of running in the NY marathon. Using limited text, we see how racers prepare for the race, keep going through with support through the race and winding down afterwards. You can literally see the pounding of the racers along the trail. Hartland's illustrations celebrate the NY background for the rest with wonderful embedded messages to further engage the reader. The lateral format of the book with an amazing fold out in the middle does seem to capture the runners in action. The book provides insights for all long-distance races. End notes even have links to additional resources. This is a great book celebrating long distance running and would be a great addition to any home or school collection.

[Julie Ditton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leslie Kimmelman has written an informative picturebook that tells the reader all about the anual New York City Marathon. She provides the history of the event, the geography, including a map, and how runners prepare. The horizontal format, is ideal for the illustrations by Jessie Hartland which streatch out across the wide pages. I thought that the foldout was especially clever. Two pages of participants lined up side by side waiting for the start of the race, becomes 4 pages of runners streatched along the route. The book is sprinkled with everal EXTRA! sidenotes that provide little factoids. Hartland's illustrations have a lot of subtle details for the adults to enjoy. This book can be enjoyed by any young nonfiction love or budding athlete.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Public library copy

This is a realistic look at how to get ready to race, and also a great overview of the course of the New York City Marathon. There are lots of fun facts (like a high school band playing the theme song from "Rocky" every year since 1978!) and details about what happens at different mile markers. This would be an instructive picture book to give to a family of runners to use to encourage children to make this race a priority when they are older. The illustrations are fun, but not necessarily my personal favorite.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book as an adult reader for the AR Diamond Book Award. Overall, it is a nice introduction to large-scale marathon runs--a solid 3.5 stars. The cover will most likely only interest those already interested in marathon running. This book feels more like it was trying to make the reader really "feel" like they are in the race. This book could possibly be used by a parent or teacher, but I don't think that a child will willingly pick it up as a fun book to read. It may need a little push from a librarian to move from the shelf.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

A high-energy narrative nonfiction picture book about the New York City Marathon. Jessie Hartland is exactly the right person to illustrate a book like this, and the pages are filled with lovely gouache images and funny details. The long, horizontal format is well-utilized for what ends up being a very well designed book. Not a nonfiction to use for a report -- facts are sprinkled in, but this book is mostly about vibes. A good introduction to marathon running for youngsters.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

The New York City Marathon is world renowned and this book takes us through its history. The illustrations are lively and bright and exemplify much of the process of a marathon runner along the way. There is ample back matter to allow us to learn even more than the course of the story. I learned quite a lot reading this book.

I don't have many books on marathons, but have added two that I now share with teachers and students wanting to read narrative non-fiction.

[Wren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This picture book explains how a marathon works by using specifics about the New York City Marathon. It has delighful illustrations of runners and their supporteres before, during, and after the race. There are key points in the race mentioned (the start at Staten Island, the crossing of the Mayor Ed Koch bridge, the run through Brooklyn, and the finish line in Central Park). There are people who cheer the runners--marching bands, drummers, and individuals on the sidelines.

The start of the race is depicted with fold out pages so that the starting line has four pages worth of people set up to start.

There are facts throughout about who started it, when it started, when women were allowed to compete, and some of the winners. It also explains the staggered start times for various groups -- from professional wheel chair races to amateurs who might need 10 hours to finish.

New Yorkers and young runners might be particularly interested in this book. It's interesting and conveys the sense of community that the marathon fosters for locals and for outsiders who come to run or watch the race.

[Thomas Bell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I learned some things about the marathon, including that some 8-year old kid finished in just over 3 hours, averaging under 7 minutes per mile. Yikes!

But I was neither impressed nor unimpressed with the telling of the story. The marathon itself gets 5 stars, but the book only gets 3.

[Reshamad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely nonfiction picture book about the Boston Marathon. The simple writing and artwork makes this very attractive to the youngest of readers. Every page also has a small factoid that keeps the reader engaged.

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was fine, but my Rhode Island kids aren't going to care. The "Extra!" boxes were interesting to me, but they represent a trend in elementary-geared nonfiction that I don't love, with a narrative being interrupted by facts. I wish they were more incorporated with each other.

[Brooklyn Hinrichs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book as it was so educational for me as well! The illustrations were amazing, and it could teach students a lot about marathons and the amount of work that goes into training for one. It is a big deal and I loved how it also included fun facts within the book!

[Kelly]

What I liked about this book was that it was a basic overview of a marathon but included some extra facts.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love books like this one!

[Mela · Rating 2 out of 5]

i would love a story about the women who sat down in 1972 to protest being given a ten minute head start!

[Sarah Threlkeld · Rating 3 out of 5]

Engaging, lyrical exploration of the NYC marathon with fun facts throughout.

[Niño Louis · Rating 4 out of 5]

manifesting that I get to run the NY City Marathon one day!

[Ms. Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Note to self: Read first week of November with classes!

Great overview of what happens during the NYC marathon and what people do to prepare for it!