Nicely done, did you track your travels w/ any type of mapping device? Strava?

Thanks for posting this! I'm not a big walker but am hoping to do this in little pieces.

Yes! So i tried uploading a picture, but looks like it didn’t work:( used map my walk app. I will see if i can add a pic to my post

Try uploading to imgur and posting the link here instead.

I tried to walk as much of Manhattan as I could over the summer but I only hit about 20%.

https://i.imgur.com/KrWtCuV.png

Done it twice with the official group in May.

It's something I suggest any able-bodied New Yorker do at least once, such a unique way to see our city. I will say for most people though you should get a few training walks in. The weeks leading up to it I start going on 12-16ish mile walks once a weekend. It really can be quite brutal, even seasoned runners struggle because the hiking aspect is a totally different animal. I don't think I would have finished either one on my own without the group support.

Thank you! Wow this is so cool and an awesome idea.. i don’t know what our next big walk will be. Maybe the marathon route?

This is the site I used to create that map, if you want to track your own travels:

https://wandrer.earth/

Your favorite part was the tip? Ayoooo

This is really cool. My GF and I wanna try this one day. Perhaps this upcoming spring season.

Thank you for sharing.

Nice! Cool write-up! I did this on citibike last year and even that was physically demanding for me... Lots of construction on the east side that makes it hard to navigate, I found myself having to double back a fair amount, ended up just giving up and cutting inland for a bit.

Is it doable on a bike?

I would love to try it with the official group next! Will keep an eye out for the sign up.

I guess we had been unintentionally training for this..most weekends we walk 10-15 miles total. Then couple weeks ago we did the broadway walk. And even with all that, it was a lot.

Wait, does everyone say “saunter” then? I 100% thought that was specifically a Scottish thing.

I absolutely lost it when I read you got a breakfast sandwich at Starbucks.

You wanted to explore Manhattan and see different neighborhoods so you walked around the whole island. But then you stopped at a national chain for food?!

Please shop locally where you can! There was probably a deli or restaurant nearby that would have had bomb food.

I gotta say, i am not a native speaker and i have never heard of this word! But every time i would google “manhattan perimeter walk” this would come up! So i figured that’s the term :))

I saw lots of people talking about doing this on a bike! I am not a good biker, so I can’t but one could. On the east river side it will get tricky just like walking was so you will need to cut inland.

I am sorry you “absolutely lost it” haha. We have been exploring manhattan non stop since moving here and have eaten locally when we can and when convenient. That being said i am not going to apologize for getting a delicious and quick sandwich on a go from a chain, which was one of the very few open places, straight on our path, with a bathroom and with amazing staff.

Loll. Yep okay i deserved that..

thanks for the post! 13 hrs is a lot for a day but perfect timing with the foliage! i'll have to check it out, may be sections at a time :)

I used to do this every weekend on my bike. Not just totally doable but extremely fun. The worse part is the east side from lower Manhattan to 14th st because there was no bike path back then. The bike path on the west side is beautiful and uninterrupted.

Used to bike every weekend for a year. Never heard that term but sure. Why not. I was on a bike though so…

If you can get up to 150ish street (by highbridge park) and cut to the path on the river (see the map) and walk over to Inwood then down a bit, it was truly amazing. The views were stunning that whole way and it was very peaceful.

Impressed by all the bikers here. Wish I could do that. Would allow me to explore queens/Brooklyn more.

Congratulations to you and all who have done this, what an accomplishment! Thank you for posting so much detailed info. I will do that walk at some point. Slightly bummed to learn that the 2023 Great Saunter group walk is May 6 and the TD Five Boro Bike Ride is May 7, guess I'll have to pick one for next year (:

Thank you very much and good luck! i think waiting for spring is a good idea anyways given the weather is getting colder. My face still hurts from the wind.

This is one of my favorite bike rides. Great job doing it on foot!

love it, thanks so much for the info!

Congratulations!

I did the saunter on Christmas Day about 5yrs ago with two friends. I was running long distances then and thought it would be easy; it wasn’t! I made the mistake of not eating and drinking enough along the way. A great memory and I hope to do it again.

One time I was riding up the west side to the lighthouse and the wind was so strong that I didn't have to pedal. Getting home was not fun :)

I've always wanted to do Broadway, but spending 6 hours dodging tourists and waiting for red lights sounds like hell.

Did you check on the eruv while you went, to make sure we were good for sabbath?

You don't need to apologize for anything. I enjoy a quarter pounder every once in a while and don't beat myself up over it.

I just think if I planned a big adventure like this to see a ton of neighborhoods around the island and wanted to share it on Reddit I likely would have also planned out local stops for food, sights, etc.

When I saw a food section I figured you were going to highlight local options along the way. But then after reading that it just seemed like unnecessary details for the purpose of this post.

After times square we walked so fast ahah, in a way the craziness made it go so much quicker. Up until then we were sightseeing.

Great views though.

Did it.once with the official group - wow, maybe 18 years ago? Memorably cool.

The marathon route can be done starting in Bay Ridge, just a heads up! The Verrazano is only open to foot traffic for the marathon itself and that’s it.

Oo thank you. Have you ever tried it? Any tips?

Ah thanks for sharing! How was it doing it in the cold? Was it snowy?

Ah cool! I am so curious what this will look like years later when the lower/mid east side is developed!

We planned to go regardless of the weather, but it happened to be warm and sunny that Christmas Day. Just looked it up and it must have been 2015.

If you can remember the name / location of the diner in Inwood please let me know!

I've done the official version of The Great Saunter in May three or four times. You went in the opposite direction: It starts at Fraunces Tavern in the Financial District and goes west up the Hudson around the northern tip of Manhattan and down the East River. It's most fun to do it in a group with the full support of the organization, Shorewalkers. The membership fee is extremely cheap and provides free admission to other walks.

Nope. Saunter is just a funnier word to say instead of walk. Not normally used day to day.

The official Shorewalkers route would be hard to do on a bike. There are parts in Washington Heights and Inwood that would require carrying the bike up several steps and over a bridge as well as on a dirt path in Inwood Hill Park.

People have been doing The Great Saunter for over 30 years. The initial purpose was to examine the Manhattan shoreline. The walk is different every year because the shoreline changes.

You can approximate it on a bike. It would be difficult to do exactly the same route because there is a pedestrian bridge in a park on the west side that has several steps and no ramp -- you'd have to carry your bike. In addition, the trail in Inwood Hill Park is narrow, stony, and has roots. I'm not even sure that you're allowed to take a bike on it.

I've done it. Yes, Bay Ridge is where it always starts because only the marathoners are allowed on the Verrazzano.

Good shoes.

That's the name the walk has always been called. I've always wondered why it's called that because to me, "sauntering" suggests a more relaxing walk, while The Great Saunter is a demanding hike. The name may come from a Walt Whitman poem.

I’ve done the marathon 4 times (I’m a very slow runner and don’t have the training time most have, so I always do a run-walk combination. Crossing the finish line is always my goal, haha.)

The biggest thing for me, honestly, is the mental challenge! Hills come at the worst times. By not doing the Verrazano, you’re skipping the biggest hill, but that’s also at the beginning when you are fresh. Physically, the hardest part for me is the part where you come down 5the Ave by Central Park. It’s like at mile 20(ish) during the race, and by then, your legs are angry. That’s when you realize that coming down 5th from the top of the park to the bottom is ALL UPHILL. It’s one of those things that you don’t necessarily notice if you’re just out to visit a museum or the park, but you definitely notice after being on your feet for hours.

As far as sightseeing and such for the marathon route… it goes through some cool neighborhoods. There is a section of the Brooklyn part along 4th avenue where there isn’t a lot, but mostly you’ll pass through neighborhoods that have different personalities and lots of diversity.

Related: if anyone reading this decides they want to do a marathon once in their lifetime, make NYC the one you do. The crowd support is AMAZING, and it’s basically a 26.2 mile party. Highly recommend!

This specific walk, sponsored by the Shorewalkers organization for over 30 years, is called "The Great Saunter." "Sauntering" is not a term generally used for this kind of activity, which is a challenging urban hike.

Shorewalkers, the organization that sponsors The Great Saunter, always schedules several practice walks leading up to the main walk, which is the first Saturday in May.

Wow thank you for this detail. I was somewhat training for a half marathon a while. Once during covid then again in nyc. Loved seeing the city running. But unfortunately got specific running injuries both times and had to stop. Walking doesn’t give me those injuries and after getting injured this last time I think I am giving up on running for good. I have explored so little of brooklyn - need to get on that.

Yes will look to do it with a group in May! I am sure mentally it will be much better this way. The only reason we started in the 90s was to end at home. It was amazing coming home at the end, honestly i was so delusional by then.

The Famous Jimbo's Hamburger Palace, i just looked it up. They were just really nice and asked if we wanted a muffin grilled with butter (haha i have never heard of this but the answer was yes!)

But why

I did the Broadway walk last weekend. I run three miles four or five times a week, thought I’d be good, legs were Hurting by the time I escaped Times Square. Power walked the entire way to Battery Park

Did it a couple years back during the spring on my own. It was quite the journey. I started at brooklyn bridge and went up the east side first. I remember the stretch along Harlem River Drive where you're sandwiched between the highway and the river being one of the most memorial parts of the walk, despite it being the most lonely section. Probably only saw like one or two people during that whole stretch but just being by yourself that whole time felt very serene in a way.

Happy to help! I’m a huge fan of the marathon!

I was registered in 2020, and unfortunately got a nasty bout of Covid and long Covid, but just recently got clearance to start running again. I parlayed my 2020 registration to 2023, and honestly, I’m cool with walking the whole thing if I need to; there are always groups that do just that! If you ever decide to “officially” walk it on race day, know the following:

1. Crossing the Verrazano on foot is amazing; honestly one of my favorite bits of the race

2. If you are walking the entire race, and you are not a fast walker, there’s a decent chance that streets will start to open again before you have finished. Fans/supporters will STILL be out cheering for you. Source: I did the race once on a knee injury and experienced this very thing. The people of this city are amazing.

3. The people of Harlem are the most supportive and have the best music. It’s my favorite neighborhood to run through, because you are exhausted at that point, and they are the folks out there shouting encouragement and handing out salty snacks and cool rags to folks who need it. Honestly, if it wasn’t for a wizened old woman in Harlem and her encouragement, I honestly don’t think I would have crossed the finish line the knee injury year. I look for her every year. She’s my marathon angel!

4. Absolutely do not stress about how late you finish. There WILL be people there at the finish waiting for you! The person who is the last to finish every year actually gets a feature on the news and in the paper, because it is recognized that it’s a bigger feat for someone who might have difficulty to cross the finish line. I remember one of the years I did it, the last to finish crossed the line close to midnight, and he was an old war vet (I want to say WWII, but it might have been Korea?) I remember passing him in Queens. He was literally shuffling along, and had a person on either side (from Achilles iirc) helping him walk, and I don’t know if I’ve ever been so inspired.

5. Speaking of inspiration, there is a plethora of it to be found! I am inspired by the wheelchair racers and the pro runners (both groups are SO FREAKING FAST). I am inspired by the people being helped by Achilles organization. I even saw a guy doing it ON CRUTCHES one year, which is just insane. Lol.

6. You will feel like a rock star when you first come off the 59th St bridge and head up 1st Ave. Spectators are not allowed on the bridges, so you will hear the sound of them before you see them. The cheering of lots of people drinking is quite loud but also gets you going.

7. Biggest tip: write your name on whatever shirt you wear. You wouldn’t believe the difference it makes hearing someone yell out general encouragement vs. hearing someone specifically cheering you on by name. It sounds silly, but it genuinely works. I didn’t write my name the first time, but I have every year since, it’s 100% worth it.

8. Second biggest tip: go for the post race pancho instead of checking a bag if at all possible. If you absolutely need your own supplies immediately after the race, still do the pancho option and then have a friend/family member meet you with your stuff where you exit Central Park. Trust me on this. They already make you go a ways past the finish line to leave the park, but if you check a bag you have to go further to exit, and it just takes so much longer and is more of a pain if you are meeting people afterwards. I have friends meet me where I exit the park with a change of clothes and supplies and then we go for Mexican food (because I need salt after, at least that’s my excuse. It’s tradition now!)

9. Take the subway home, because getting a cab/Uber/Lyft will be impossible from the finish area for a solid 5 hour block of time.

This all sounds so amazing. Would be awesome to be a part of this. Thank you for all the tips, i will look into what it takes to actually get signed up.

Yes that was exactly our experience. We went so fast after times square!

If you live in the area, the best two ways for guaranteed entry are to either join a charity team or to do the 9+1 program through NYRR. :-)

Yeah, I did it counterclockwise on a summer day starting around 59th st on the east side, and the problem with this was you're walking in the sun on the east side the whole time, then walking in the sun on the west side the whole time, so we all got burnt.

I get it. So you did this on your own? There was a Virtual Saunter this month. The first one was scheduled during the pandemic because large groups of people couldn't walk together. Normally, there are at least 1,000 walkers.

Actually, a friend of mine said it might better to go in the direction you took because you'd see the sunset on the Hudson at the end of the walk and it would be warmer. I think they may start it on the Hudson side because that's the prettiest part of the walk and many people drop out by the time they reach Inwood. So they get to see the fun part before quitting.

Yeah just don't do it on a really hot day with a strong sun.

Yep just did it the two of us. Wow I didn’t realize it was such a big event

Ooof. We did the broadway walk when it was sunny and it was rough. Until you get to upper west there is no shade..