![A near-perfect New York City Marathon day in Harlem](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f1eca6_522e0621850a467baeb61c2ab6f0340c~mv2_d_2770_3481_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_147,h_185,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/f1eca6_522e0621850a467baeb61c2ab6f0340c~mv2_d_2770_3481_s_4_2.jpg)
It was a near-perfect day for a marathon on Sunday, with sunny skies accompanied by a crisp high of 55.
![A near-perfect New York City Marathon day in Harlem](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f1eca6_663cfe54cf4e4cf392a695f52271ac16~mv2_d_3687_2988_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_147,h_119,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/f1eca6_663cfe54cf4e4cf392a695f52271ac16~mv2_d_3687_2988_s_4_2.jpg)
And Harlem, with its historic brownstones and wide, tree-lined streets, served as the ideal backdrop.
![A near-perfect New York City Marathon day in Harlem](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f1eca6_d062163b392545ff9c691a581b69e9d9~mv2_d_3770_2849_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_147,h_111,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/f1eca6_d062163b392545ff9c691a581b69e9d9~mv2_d_3770_2849_s_4_2.jpg)
After crossing the Madison Avenue Bridge into Manhattan, the 50,000-plus runners came streaming down Fifth Avenue, where crowds cheered as DJs along the route played Mary J. Blige and Alicia Keys ("Concrete jungle where dreams are made of...").
![A near-perfect New York City Marathon day in Harlem](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f1eca6_c2528160823d453da9dcf4c62ab957cf~mv2_d_4032_3024_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_147,h_110,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/f1eca6_c2528160823d453da9dcf4c62ab957cf~mv2_d_4032_3024_s_4_2.jpg)
Just below 125th Street they looped around Marcus Garvey Park, where endless rows of brownstones stood watch like an architectural royal guard.
![A near-perfect New York City Marathon day in Harlem](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f1eca6_f89bb2880be64d3e98b37d8066eb5c08~mv2_d_3024_3784_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_147,h_184,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/f1eca6_f89bb2880be64d3e98b37d8066eb5c08~mv2_d_3024_3784_s_4_2.jpg)
Leaving the smaller park behind, the marathoners headed for their final destination: Central Park.
![A near-perfect New York City Marathon day in Harlem](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f1eca6_ab479f455eff43cbad71f0435320c92c~mv2_d_3024_3903_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_147,h_190,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/f1eca6_ab479f455eff43cbad71f0435320c92c~mv2_d_3024_3903_s_4_2.jpg)
But before saying goodbye to Harlem, they had one more landmark to pass: the impressive statue of Duke Ellington and his piano.
![A near-perfect New York City Marathon day in Harlem](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f1eca6_32c175540c4747a1bc93b26fdb69145d~mv2_d_2042_2198_s_2.jpg/v1/fill/w_147,h_158,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/f1eca6_32c175540c4747a1bc93b26fdb69145d~mv2_d_2042_2198_s_2.jpg)
Did the elite runners, who came before all the others, even notice?