NYC Marathon: Pre-Race Preparation & Race Morning Guide

NYC Marathon: Pre-Race Preparation & Race Morning Guide

with Coach Nicole Thome

While the New York City Marathon is an incredible experience — race morning is unlike most other marathons. 

Even if you’ve run other World Major Marathons, logistically NYC has its own unique challenges.  Between transportation to Staten Island, security and the long wait before your corral opens, you’ll want to arrive prepared, comfortable and ready to conserve your energy.  

After several years of trying to secure entry into NYC Marathon, I finally had the opportunity to race it in 2025.  Now armed with first-hand knowledge, I’ve put together what I believe is to be a definitive-guide to race day morning preparation!  

Here are some tips to help make your race morning as smooth and stress-free as possible: 

1. Transportation & Getting to the Start

  • Expect to arrive at Staten Island hours before your wave starts. This is completely normal!
  • Review your assigned transportation option, departure time, wave /corral well before race morning.
    • If you’re fortunate enough to have private bus/shuttle transportation (tour operator, charity), you will be arriving prior to 7 am regardless of wave/start time.  
  • Know exactly where you’re boarding your ferry or bus and how you’re getting there from your hotel.
    • Plan it out the day before — perhaps even take that walk from your hotel so you’re familiar in the morning and not figuring it out in the dark.
    • There will be tons of runners out and about all navigating in different directions.   Do not assume you can just follow someone else — have a plan and know your plan.  
  • Allow plenty of time for transportation, security and crowds.  The last thing you want is to feel stressed out on race morning because you didn’t give yourself enough time. 
  • Use the restroom before leaving your hotel — that may seem obvious but between transportation and security, you could be waiting awhile.
  • Screenshot your transportation information, start village map and wave/corral assignment so you’re not relying on cell service.

2. Preparing for the Long Wait at Fort Wadsworth (Staten Island)

  • Dress for standing/sitting around, not running!  Even temperatures that feel comfortable for running can feel cold when you’re just waiting and sitting still.
  • Bring throwaway layers such as sweatpants, sweatshirt/hoodie, mittens /gloves, beanie, warm socks.  Some people even choose to wear a cozy bathrobe.
    • Personally, I bought inexpensive throwaway items on Amazon. The race has plenty of donation bins to discard your items (they are literally everywhere!)  I probably spent $30ish total on these items; however, that cost is well-worth being warm and comfortable while you wait.  
    • I even brought an old pair of recovery slides so I didn’t have to wear my race shoes for hours.  If you have a pair of old slides or slippers that are ‘near death’ — consider bringing those for the start.  
    • Some people choose to visit thrift stores upon arrival in NYC to pick up throwaway clothes.  While that is certainly an option, it’s also additional logistics and an unknown to factor into your plan.  
  • Bring something to sit on. The ground will be cold and damp.
    • Highly recommend these mylar/space blankets:   https://a.co/d/02DAd2OC (super cheap on Amazon and they’re small/easy to pack and toss away)
  • Stay off your feet as much as possible. Find a comfortable place to sit and relax.  There’s no need to spend hours walking around or warming up.
    • Though the Start Village has specific areas per bib color (pink, blue, orange), you can hang out anywhere you’d like.   The colors only matter for your corral/entry point.
  • Bring a portable phone charger and earbuds if you enjoy listening to music, podcasts, etc to pass the time.
    • Personally, I opted for putting my phone on airplane mode, conserving battery and chatting up with people around me — NYC attracts runners from all over the world and everyone has a story!  This is also a good time to lie back, relax and visual your race.  
    • If you bring a charger, know that you either have to discard it or carry it with you.  There’s no race morning drop-bags (more on that below).

3. Race Morning Nutrition & Hydration

  • You’ll have several hours between breakfast and your actual start time.  Don’t assume your hotel will have breakfast available early enough — confirm with your hotel and/or purchase what you need day before.
    • Remember the cardinal rule:  Nothing new on race day!   
  • Eat your usual breakfast (even though it’s super early) and bring additional carbohydrate-rich snacks for your wait — bagels/bread, banana, energy bars, fruit snacks, chews, whatever is familiar to you.
    • Think of it as having a second breakfast while you wait.  You do not want to start the race feeling hungry and depleted because it’s been hours since you ate!   
  • Bring your own water and electrolytes.
    • Though you can bring your own water into start village at NYC, to be on the safe side, bring a sealed water bottle.  There are also plenty of places to refill water.  
    • Soft flasks are allowed but you cannot bring hydration bladders; refer to NYRR’s prohibited-items list. 
  • Sip fluids throughout the morning rather than drinking large amounts all at once.
    • I’d advise limiting or even restricting fluids in the final hour of your wait (more on that below). 
  • Stay organized! Keep your race-day gels and fuel separate from your waiting-area snacks.
  • And because it bears repeating:  Nothing new on race day! Avoid unfamiliar foods, fluids or supplements. This is not the time to try out that energy bar you picked up at Expo or a new pre-workout supplement.  

4. Restroom Planning

  • Expect long bathroom lines, especially as start times approach.
    • I’d recommend giving yourself at least 45 mins to an hour before your corral opens to line up for a porta-potty.  If that seems excessive, it’s not. 
  • There are porta-potties inside the corrals; however, I wouldn’t recommend waiting for those.  There’s not a lot of time between corrals opening and waves starting.
    • If you choose to wait for a porta-potty inside the corral, you’ll likely still be in line by the time your wave starts.  I would only choose this option if you’re ok not starting in your assigned wave. 
  • Know when your corral opens and closes so you don’t get caught in a bathroom line.
    • If you’re not inside your corral by the time it closes, you will have to wait for the next one.   NYCM doesn’t mess around with this one — they’re strict about it. 
    • Once inside your corral, you can drop back to a later corral or wave but you cannot move forward.  This is pretty standard, especially at World Major Marathons. 
  • Avoid overhydrating — this can create unnecessary bathroom stops.
    • As a coach, I recommend restricting fluids once you’ve used the bathroom one last time.  If you’ve sipped on fluids throughout the morning and pre-hydrated the day before, you don’t need to keep drinking.   Overhydrating on race morning is usually just nerves getting the better of us.  

5. Bag Check: Yes or No?

  • Important!!  NYC does not offer race-morning bag check at Staten Island.
  • If you registered for bag pre-check, you’ll need to drop off your official bag in Manhattan on Friday or Saturday before the race.
  • Pre-checked bags can be picked up post-race in the designated area near Central Park West.
  • You will receive a finisher’s poncho — these are a NYCM tradition and worth keeping!  They are definitely warm and so much nicer than a post-race space blanket.  
  • If you’re meeting friends or family afterward, consider having them bring your warm clothing, recovery shoes and snacks.
  • Unless you need specific belongings immediately after finishing, consider skipping bag pre-check. It’s one less logistical step to manage.
    • Personally, I did not opt for bag check.  Logistically, it didn’t make sense for me and after seeing the bag pick-up area, I was glad I didn’t.

Race Essentials — Checklist 

  • Race bib and safety pins / bib fasteners
  • Race shoes, socks and complete race outfit 
  • GPS watch, fully charged
  • All planned race gels or other fuel and hydration
  • Anti-chafe, sunscreen and sunglasses (easy to forget since it’s dark when you leave)

Start Village Essentials

  • Familiar pre-race snacks
  • Water bottle and electrolytes
  • Throwaway clothes
  • Disposable poncho or mylar blanket
  • Tissues or toilet paper
  • Phone, portable charger and earbuds (as applicable)
  • Transportation and corral information


Important: Only the official NYRR clear Start Village bag is allowed into Fort Wadsworth/Staten Island.

Review NYRR’s current security and prohibited-items policies before packing for your trip.  Anything you’re not carrying onto the course with you must be thrown away before leaving the corrals.


One Final Thought:  Your NYC Marathon experience begins long before you cross the starting line!

They often say just getting to the start line of NYCM is a marathon effort unto itself!  You’ll be up very early, navigating transportation, standing in lines, managing nutrition and hydration and spending several hours surrounded by thousands of excited runners.

All of that can be mentally and physically draining if you’re not prepared.

Treat those hours as part of your race preparation. Stay comfortable, conserve your energy, fuel appropriately and don’t let the excitement or logistics wear you out before you’ve even crossed the start line. 

The goal is simple: Arrive at the starting line feeling relaxed, fueled, and ready to run!

You’ve put in month of training.  Now it’s time to enjoy the experience!