You cross five bridges during the New York City Marathon – the Verrazano, the Pulaski, the Queensboro, the Willis Avenue, and the Madison Avenue. By the time you get to the Willis, if you’re like me, you’re hurting, but if you’ve got some sense of your surroundings left, you’ll notice it’s a pretty nice (and new!) bridge. The Willis Avenue Bridge connects Willis Ave. in the Bronx at E. 135th St. and Bruckner Blvd. with 1st Ave. in Manhattan at 125th St. It has a wide pedestrian walk way on the west side and provides excellent views of the Harlem river. I didn’t stop during the New York Marathon, but I did stop on a training run I took up there a couple of weeks before.

Entrance to the bridge from the Manhattan side is at the intersection 1st Ave and 125th. On the Bronx side, you enter the pedestrian pathway at 135th Street and Willis Avenue. This one is among the newest bridges in New York City. If you’re in upper Manhattan or the South Bronx its worth checking out, even if you’re not at Mile twenty of the New York Marathon.

More great information on the Willis Avenue Bridge can be found on Phil’s website.