If marathons were sandwiches, the ING New York City marathon would be filled with the most amazing ingredients that you’ll remember forever. However, the bread at the edges could be a bit better. The race itself is a phenomenon that engages all

, while the start area, which had no time pens and mixed runners from half-marathon and the 7.2K mini-marathon together, was chaotic. But if you want a fast race in a beautiful city just a couple of hours away, look no further. Register for next year

.Britain's Mara Yamauchi finished a creditable ninth in the women's marathon this morning with a time of 2:32.55. The Oxford-born athlete, who now resides in Tokyo, actually led the race at 30km, but she was cut adrift from the leading pack of eight in the closing