NYC Marathon Will Be Utilized for Mass Mivtza Tefillin

Shmarya Richler, a third time marathon runner and passionate Lubavitcher, is here with a plan and a signup sheet for mivtzoim at the NYC Marathon this Sunday. Here’s the details.

By Shmarya Richler, Marathoner

Boruch Hashem the response to the Mivtzoim initiative at the NYC Marathon this coming Sunday has been great. I’ve been in Crown Heights since Wednesday night and have been busy answering lots of questions. Many of you have visited the website and have told me that they will be going to different locations along the route. I hope to see you as I am running the race!

I’ve also added some contact information for Sheva Mitzvos Bnei Noach, Sefer Torah forms etc. to the website.  

As I mentioned in my article on Monday there are people all along the route for most of the day. For example, at the intersection of 4’th and Flatbush, the crowd starts congregating at about 9:00 AM. There are thousands of people there for hours. So, if you arrive at a spot and someone is already there you just have to walk 50 feet and you will have plenty of customers.

There are many hot spots along the route. This is not to say that there are no spectators at other locations. First Avenue in Manhattan is packed with people from 59th until the Willis Avenue Bridge. North Williamsburg and Queens are very well represented. This is a list of the hot spots:

• The area around 4’th and Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn (near the Apple store).
• The area around First and 59’th in Manhattan.
• First Ave from 59’th to the Willis Ave Bridge. 
• Fifth Avenue from the Madison Avenue Dridge until 86’th Street
• The finish line area on Columbus Ave (9’th) from West 69’th to West 76’th streets in Manhattan
• Central Park East from 86’th to 59’th (and 59’th street along the park). 

I’ve set up a website (see link below) with information about the route, the crowds, the times etc. Check the maps and let me know where and when you will be during the race. I will update the chart frequently showing where everyone has chosen to be on race day. 

The race begins on Staten Island at the foot of the Verrazano Bridge. It starts in stages (waves) between 8:00 AM and 11:30 AM. There are 5 waves with about 10,000 runners in each wave. The crowds start lining the streets in Brooklyn at about 9:00 AM and a bit later in the other Boroughs. The route takes us through all five boroughs and goes through many neighborhoods on our way to the finish in Central Park. Many streets are closed so make sure to check the street closure list on the website. The best way to get to the Manhattan sections of the race may be by train. 

Please send me your name and mother’s name so I can bring them to the Ohel after the race. Also, please send pictures and if possible, the number of people you put on Tfillin with and gave Neshek to. I will post the pictures and numbers to the website and send them to various news sites.

Let’s do our part to help our seven million family members in Eretz Yisroel and give the Rebbe a Nachas Ruach.

The website is http://Nycm-mivtzoim.org 

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