Home > The Scene

New Yorker outruns subway in race to Mets ballpark

It was neck-and-neck as two friends raced across the city on Saturday–one on foot, the other by transit

NEW York city subway

It’s hard to believe that travelling on foot could ever beat public transit–especially over more than 13 kilometres. But on Saturday, two New York City residents decided to find out for themselves in a cross-city race.

En route to the Mets vs Chicago Cubs game at Citi Field in Queens, Noah Cracknell went head-to-head with his friend Vicky Conroy: he would run, and she’d take the subway. Both documented the journey, and–somehow– the runner came out on top.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Vicky Conroy | NYC (@vickyconroy)

The pair began at 38th Street and 5th Avenue in Manhattan. Cracknell faced a 13.45-km route, while Conroy planned to hop on the subway for a 32-minute ride, after her initial half-kilometre walk to the subway station. On paper, transit should have had a clear advantage, but the subway trip (like usual) didn’t go as planned.

The first delay was a blocked entrance at Grand Central Terminal, forcing the subway-goers to reroute to another station. Then came the crowds–slow walkers clogged their path in the subway tunnels–and 17 stops stood between them and the finish line. “He is moving,” Conroy said, tracking Cracknell’s progress in real-time via Find My Friends. “We’re neck-and-neck.”

Meanwhile, Cracknell had built up a early lead, already crossing Queensboro Bridge before Conroy had boarded the train. Despite having to ask for directions to the stadium, he averaged 4:12 per kilometre and finished in 56 minutes and 31 seconds.

Both arrived at Citi Field at 6:41 p.m., but as Cracknell declared, “Tie goes to the runner.” He celebrated the victory and his speedy commute with a cold can of beer.

Check out the latest buyer's guide:

Our favourite running shoes from Mizuno

The Japanese brand has some excellent models for training and racing this summer