I attempted to enter the NYC marathon.  There is a lottery just to enter.....98,247 applied, only 16,211 got in.  I was not one of them.....again.  I guess I will just keep trying every year.  It is a bucket list event.  50,000 people will run this year including 9000 charity runners, the 16000 lottery runners, and the rest are speed-demon guaranteed entry people (I will never be speedy).
     BTW entry costs $295....times 50,000 people is $14,750,000!  That's a lot of money going to NYC not counting hotel, food, and entertainment monies.