TCS New York City Marathon

Why this race belongs on a competitive runner's shortlist

New York suits runners seeking a five-borough route rather than a repeated city loop. The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge opens the race, the Queensboro Bridge brings it into Manhattan, and Central Park holds the finish. Those crossings and the Fifth Avenue approach make this more than a flat-road marathon. FindMyMarathon models 294.4 m of cumulative climbing for its July 2026 update. The practical tradeoff is a long assigned trip to the Staten Island start and no start-to-finish bag transport, so the morning plan matters as much as the pace target.

Course overview

The 2026 point-to-point course starts near Fort Wadsworth in Staten Island and finishes in Central Park. Its bib-color routes cross the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, join Fourth Avenue through Brooklyn, then pass Lafayette Avenue, Bedford Avenue and Greenpoint. Pulaski Bridge leads into Queens before Queensboro Bridge reaches Manhattan. First Avenue continues to Willis Avenue Bridge, the Bronx and Third Avenue Bridge. Fifth Avenue and Central Park drives precede Central Park South and the final park approach. Bridge climbs interrupt the city-road running, with another sustained late rise on Fifth Avenue.

0 to 16.1 km: Verrazzano and Fourth Avenue

The bib-color routes cross Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge before joining the Brooklyn roads and Fourth Avenue. The 2026 model places its highest opening crest near mile 1, then drops sharply; a smaller rise appears around the Lafayette Avenue section at miles 8 to 9. Control breathing on the first bridge and avoid trying to recover every second on its descent. Water and Gatorade are at miles 3, 4, 6, 8 and 10, with gaps at 5, 7 and 9. Mile 8 also has self-serve Culligan water, which requires your own container.

16.1 to 25.7 km: Greenpoint, Pulaski and Queensboro

Bedford Avenue and Greenpoint lead to Pulaski Bridge near halfway, then Queens streets approach Queensboro Bridge. The model shows a smaller Pulaski rise and a larger Queensboro climb around miles 15 to 16. Conserve effort on the bridge instead of forcing the preceding Brooklyn split. Water and Gatorade are at miles 11 through 16. Limited Maurten Gel 100 and caffeinated Gel 100 Caf 100 are offered at mile 12, so carry familiar fuel rather than rely on availability. Mile 14 has self-serve Culligan water for your own container.

25.7 to 35.4 km: First Avenue and the Bronx crossings

First Avenue heads north before Willis Avenue Bridge enters the Bronx, Alexander Avenue connects the short borough section, and Third Avenue Bridge returns to Manhattan. The model keeps much of First Avenue lower than Queensboro but includes smaller rises around the crossings. Hold effort while preparing for the later Fifth Avenue climb. Water and Gatorade are at miles 17 through 22, with limited Maurten gels at 18 and bananas at 21. Self-serve Culligan water at 17 and 20 needs your own container; do not assume that those points replace the standard cup stations.

35.4 km to 42.2 km: Fifth Avenue and Central Park

Fifth Avenue leads toward the park entrance near mile 23 before the Central Park drives, Central Park South and final return into the park. The model climbs around miles 23 to 24 and shows smaller park rolls afterward. Keep reserve for that late rise, then increase only when breathing and stride recover. Water and Gatorade are at miles 23, 24 and 25, with an additional self-serve Culligan point at 23 for your own container. The finish is inside Central Park; the walk to the designated exits remains part of the recovery plan.

Elevation checkpoints and how to read them

FindMyMarathon reports 966 ft of modeled cumulative ascent, or 294.4 m, and 958 ft of descent, or 292.0 m, for its July 2026 update. Its model and smoothing method are not disclosed. The modeled altitude envelope is 2.4 to 80.2 m. Verrazzano gives the largest opening crest; Pulaski and Queensboro add later bridge work, and Fifth Avenue rises before the final park rolls. The approximate net rise is only 2.4 m, which hides that repeated climbing. Use the profile for effort planning rather than surveyed bridge heights.

Aid stations and race-day logistics

Standard water and Gatorade stations serve miles 3 through 25 except 5, 7 and 9; self-serve Culligan water at 8, 14, 17, 20 and 23 requires your own container. Limited Maurten gels are at 12 and 18, with bananas at 21. Use your assigned transport: the Midtown bus is at Fifth Avenue and 40th Street, with arrival 15 minutes before departure; the ferry and shuttle journey from Whitehall takes approximately 90 minutes. Pre-check the official Expo bag on Central Park West between West 73rd and West 75th, October 30 to 31, 09:00 to 17:00. No bags travel from the start to the finish. Race-day retrieval ends at 19:00, and all finishers receive ponchos.

Practical pacing plan

Control the Verrazzano climb and resist forcing the descent. Conserve on Queensboro, then use First Avenue to restore the practiced fueling rhythm instead of spending that reserve on an immediate acceleration. Hold back enough for Fifth Avenue, and push through the final park rolls only if breathing and stride recover afterward. November bridge wind or cold rain can change effort sharply; use suitable start layers and plan the post-finish walk, especially because baggage does not travel from Staten Island.

Historical weather pattern

November weather history around New York City shows typical daily temperatures of 34.5 to 60.1 F, daily mean winds of 4.3 to 11.3 mph, and at least 1 mm of rain on 28.0 percent of days. Conditions can change, so check the race-week forecast before travel and again on race morning.

Edition history