My version of a marathon is a 32-mile walk around Manhattan. It's a great way to see NYC.

• I haven’t run a marathon or a half-marathon.
• But I have walked the perimeter of Manhattan, around 32 miles, three times.
• The Great Saunter is an annual walk that I enjoy immensely and plan to do again.

This iconic New York City walk, called the Great Saunter, is held annually during the first week of May. This year, I walked with friends. It took about 12 hours, and even though I wore brand-new sneakers (which is usually ill-advised, since you want to break in new shoes), I recovered quickly and was out and about the next day.

The walk has some history

The Great Saunter began when the Shorewalkers’ founder, Cy A Adler, who passed away in 2018, walked the route in 1982. What started as a fun and informal walk has grown into an event that drew more than 3,000 walkers who took on the challenge of completing the entire route, which runs from the West Side of Manhattan to the East Side.

Not everyone completes the full walk. Some people join for the beginning or vow to make it to the halfway point. Sometimes people start, then head to the finish line to wait for friends who were planning to complete the entire course.

This year, Shorewalkers reported that around 62% of walkers finished the event.

The route was a unique way to see the city

Even though I’ve lived in New York City for more than a decade, the longer-than-a-marathon walk around Manhattan offers such a special way to see the city. Usually, I take the subway to get to and from places, so it was wonderful to explore the city’s perimeter in full, especially in the lovely spring weather.

Though the morning started out rainy, the rest of the day was perfect for walking. By the time my friends and I started walking at around 7:30 a.m., the weather was clear and crisp.

I loved walking along the West Side Highway and seeing all the flowers and little parks along the way, like the iconic Little Island — a floating park — which we passed by early on in our journey, as well as The Little Red Lighthouse, located in Fort Washington Park, with its vividness that really makes it stand out against the city landscape.

For lunch, we stopped at Inwood Hill Park, which was about halfway. Then, we headed down to the East Side.

What I did differently this time around to finish quicker

This year, even with bathroom breaks and lunch, I finished the walk in a little over 12 hours. The other two years took longer, and those walks also resulted in more soreness.

I wanted to finish quicker this year so I could spend less time on my feet overall. To do that, I really minimized breaks. I allowed myself to sit down a few times, but I resisted the urge to get too comfortable.

Also, this was the first year that my friends were able to do the route with me. When I completed it the first time, I ran into people I knew and made friends along the way. But in 2024, I completed it entirely on my own, which was much more mentally taxing.

This year, it was great to chat with friends along the way, and it definitely made the time go by much more quickly.

I’m looking forward to walking again in 2027 and will be ready when registration opens in February. Until then, I’m staying on my feet and taking in all the museums, parks, and — of course — the beautiful walking paths the city offers.

Read the original article on Business Insider