Longtime NYC Marathoner Excited for Return to In-Person Urinating on Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge
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A local runner said today he’s looking forward to returning to the New York City Marathon in person this fall, where he can once again experience the thrill of urinating from the upper deck of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge.
“Virtual races are OK,” said Kent Brockman, a seven-time New York City Marathon finisher. “But when it comes to New York, there’s just no substitute for the real thing—the energy of the crowds, the tour of all five boroughs, the view from the Verrazzano as you pee from the upper deck into the water below, or possibly onto the runners on the lower deck.”
“There’s nothing like it.”
The New York Road Runners canceled the 2020 marathon due to the coronavirus pandemic; this year’s race will take place November 7 with a smaller field and COVID protocols in place. Thankfully, for runners like Brockman, those protocols won’t affect runners’ long tradition of using the historic Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge as a 13,700-foot-long urinal.
“We see no reason at this time why runners on the bridge shouldn’t be able to freely urinate, as usual,” said Arnie Pye, a NYRR spokesperson. “As long as they maintain an appropriate distance from their fellow runners, of course.”
Brockman said he’s counting the days.
“You haven’t peed,” he said, “until you’ve peed on a 2 1/2-mile suspension bridge.”
