Last year, William Meyers photographed the route of the 2004 New York City Marathon on the night before the race. The pictures are at the Leonard Fox Gallery, 790 Madison Avenue, through December 3. The comments are by Howard Hochster, a doctor at the NYU Cancer Institute, who will be running his fifteenth NYC Marathon this Sunday.

1. Ft. Wadsworth, Staten Island: staging area. Soon, 36,000 people will be milling around, drinking tens of thousands of cups of coffee. The pent-up energy is palpable.

2. Ft. Wadsworth, Staten Island: staging area. A journalist starting early; maybe it's a broadcast to Europe. Later, thousands of journalists show up, and dozens of helicopters swarm overhead.

3. Ft. Wadsworth, Staten Island: staging area. This balloon gets inflated and flies next to the podium, where runners exercise to burn excess energy. Don't they realize they'll need that energy for the last six miles?

4. Forth Avenue, Bay Bridge, Brooklyn: mile 4. Over the Verrazano Bridge and trying to hit my stride. The road is crowded for the first four miles; now it starts to thin out.

5. Bedford Avenue, Williamsburg, Brooklyn: mile 11. The first half of the race is all Brooklyn. Made it past the Greenpoint Savings Bank and the turn onto Bedford Avenue. The crowds are great for the spirit. Still feeling strong.

6. William McGuinness Boulevard, Greenpoint, Brooklyn: mile 13. Past all the Hasidic kids looking at you like you're from Mars, then over the BQE.

7. William McGuinness Boulevard, Greenpoint, Brooklyn: mile 13. The high-school marching band keeps your spirit soaring and feet going.

8. Pulaski Bridge, Long Island City, Queens: mile 13. The halfway point. Feeling good, but now I have to run the same distance again.

9. Crescent Street, Queens, the Silvercup Studios: mile 14. A short run through the industrial section of Queens and then over the Queensboro Bridge: 1.5 miles of tough uphill, spiraling up the ramps and then over into Manhattan. By now, the leading runners are just about in Central Park.

10. East Drive, Central Park, Manhattan: mile 24. Every step is agony. Fifth Avenue is a tortuous uphill grind, but now turning into Central Park at Engineers' Gate, the thousands cheering are a balm to the soul.

11. East Drive, Central Park, Manhattan: mile 25. Heading south over slow-rolling hills on Central Park's East Drive. Soon, Central Park South and the last mile and change.

12. West Drive, Central Park, Manhattan: finish line. A mild uphill grade, but it seems like a mountain. Only a few hundred yards to go with the crowd cheering. Pick up the pace, look good for the spectators and cross the finish line.