This year marks 50 years of the marathon running through all five boroughs, and our NYC Program crew spent the Fall getting ready for it. Coaches, pacers, and athletes put in months of long runs on the bridges, the hills, and the stretches of this city that make the course so special... and so tough. We asked them to pass their best advice along.
Here are 6 pieces of wisdom from our NYC crew for your race day...
1. Pack for the wait.
From the moment you wake up to the moment your wave goes off can be four to six hours. Save your legs: sit whenever you can in the start village, bring throwaway layers to stay warm, and keep fueling while you wait. And remember that clocks fall back the night before, so double-check your alarm. The extra hour of sleep is a gift, as long as your phone and your watch agree on what time it is.
2. Let the Verrazano take its time.
Your first mile is the biggest climb on the course, usually with wind coming off the water. It’s okay if that split is well off goal pace, so don’t try to win it back on the way down. Once you’re in Brooklyn, stay alert. Spectators pack in close and parts of the course get narrow and tight, so keep an eye on the runners and fans around you.
3. Trust your legs, not your watch.
The lower level of the Queensboro Bridge and the tall buildings along First Ave can send your pace readings all over the place. Turn off auto-lap and hit your lap button at each official mile marker instead. And hug the blue line painted on the road. It marks the shortest route, and every extra step you take weaving around adds up over 26.2.
4. Keep your cool on First Ave.
After the quiet climb over the Queensboro, you’ll come down into a wall of sound on First Ave, and it’s one of the best moments in all of running. It’s also where a lot of races get away from people. Enjoy it, but hold your effort steady. You’ll want that energy in the Bronx and beyond.
5. Play the milestone game.
This course is much tougher than its flat-looking map suggests, so give your brain smaller goals. Try halfway, then 16 (coming off the Queensboro), 18, 20, 23, and the final 5K. That 23 matters: the long, gradual climb up Fifth Ave catches a lot of runners off guard. Shorten your stride, keep your arms moving, and remember there’s only a 5K left once you’re through it.
6. Plan your people.
It’s the best day of the year in New York, so take a second to hug your friends and say hi. Just plan it out: know the mile, the landmark, and which side of the street they’ll be on, and share your location, since it’s really easy to miss each other. Pick a meeting spot for after the race too, because cell service is famously bad and the walk out of Central Park is long. And grab a few apples on your way out. Trust us, they hit different after 26.2.
...But most importantly, have fun out there. Fifty years of five boroughs, and you get to be part of it. We’ll be at Eavesdrop at mile 12 (ish) from 10am to 5pm making as much noise as possible, so come find us! Good luck!
