New York, US · November 2026
TCS New York City Marathon
NYC Marathon pacing strategy that respects the five bridges and the rolling Central Park finish. Splits, nutrition, and bridge-by-bridge tactics from your VDOT.
- Distance
- 42.20 km
- Elevation gain
- 111 m
- Typical temp
- 4–13 °C
- Cutoff
- 8:00:00
The short version
A fair test with a few teeth
- Most runners crack near km 32 — fuel before km 30, not at it.
Next edition
1 November 2026
Typical race-day conditions
4–13 °C
We lock the real forecast into your plan in race week.
Course difficulty
ModerateDriven by a flat, fast course with mild conditions. Harder than Gold Coast Marathon (4.8), easier than Seoul Marathon (4.8) — tougher than 36% of the races we cover.
Race data quality
Medium confidence
Auto-generated from GPS route + elevation data
Course distance, climate, and broad course features are suitable for pacing previews. Elevation profiles and aid-station details are approximate and should be checked against the official race packet before race day.
Elevation profile
Route-derived (GPX + DEM)
Paid strategy guardrail
Official race packet remains source of truth
- Open-Meteo historical climate archive (2022–2024)
Step 1 · Free preview
See the course-adjusted plan first
Enter one recent result. The preview returns course cost, first splits, and fuel target from the deterministic engine and the current course data model.
VDOT
49.1
Estimate
3:14:24
Course cost
+0:39
Fuel target
60 g/h
60 g/h needs a trained gut — practise it in training, never try new fuelling on race day. Your full plan tunes this to your experience.
First 5 km preview
full race locked
- km 14:28
- km 24:42
- km 35:00
- km 44:55
- km 54:40
First race free · then €7 Race Pass · no monthly subscription
Uses an approximate course model; verify final logistics against the official race packet.
Step 2 · Your full TCS New York City Marathon plan
The preview shows the shape. The plan races it for you.
Course preview
Free
what you see now
- Difficulty score & course data
- Course-cost & toughest km
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Race Pass
€7
one-time, this race
- Every km split, weather-adjusted
- Nutrition & fluid timeline
- Heat, wind & sun race tactics
- Danger zones + watch file (GPX)
- Race-week forecast & reminders
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Continue with approximate course data →Course elevation
111 m total gain · 123 m loss · max 52 m, min -1 m.
Fly the course
At Verrazzano-Narrows BridgeSun & shade
Sun in your eyes
8 km
Sun on your back
8 km
Side / overhead
26 km
No strong glare or overhead-sun stretches at this start time — the sun stays mostly to the side.
Approximate — solar position from the route geometry and a 08:00:00 start (timezone estimated from longitude), for a mid-pack finishing time.
Signature sections
Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge · km 0–3
Start with a 1.5 km climb to the bridge midpoint, then descent into Brooklyn.
Queensboro Bridge · km 25–27
Long, silent climb out of Queens into Manhattan — the race-defining section.
First Avenue to The Bronx · km 27–33
Roaring crowd, deceptively fast First Avenue; control effort here.
Central Park · km 38–42.195
Rolling closing kilometres through the park to Tavern on the Green.
Aid stations
26 stations on course — plan your fueling around them.
Race overview
The NYC Marathon is the most topographically demanding of the World Marathon Majors. The five-borough route crosses five bridges — including the Verrazzano-Narrows at the start, the Queensboro Bridge into Manhattan at km 25, and the Madison Avenue Bridge into the Bronx at km 33. Total elevation gain is 256 m and the course is rolling for most of its length. The race is rarely won on the bridges themselves, but it is frequently lost on First Avenue (km 27–33), where the crowd carries runners into a pace they can't sustain. Plan a controlled start, save effort through the Queensboro climb, restraint on First Avenue, and a steady close through Central Park's rolling final kilometres.
How hard is this course?
Reference table — how the TCS New York City Marathon compares to a flat sea-level course for four typical fitness levels. Computed from the route profile, mean course altitude, and typical race-week climate (9 °C / 67 % humidity). Your personal strategy uses your VDOT, per-km splits, nutrition timing, and the typical climate baseline for this static sample; paid strategies use Open-Meteo when a verified race date is inside the forecast window.
| Runner | Flat-course finish | TCS New York City Marathon finish | Course cost | Adjusted pace |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner (VDOT 35) | 4:16:08 | 4:17:00 | +0.3% | 6:04/km |
| Intermediate (VDOT 45) | 3:28:17 | 3:29:00 | +0.3% | 4:56/km |
| Trained (VDOT 50) | 3:10:41 | 3:11:20 | +0.3% | 4:31/km |
| Competitive (VDOT 60) | 2:43:24 | 2:43:57 | +0.3% | 3:52/km |
Reference nutrition
For a 70 kg runner finishing in 3:11:20 at 9 °C. Adjust to your weight and tolerance — these are ISSN-window targets, not prescriptions.
- Carbs / hour
- 60 g
- Total carbs
- 191 g
- Fluid / hour
- 640 ml
- Sodium / hour
- 500 mg
FAQ
How hard is the Queensboro Bridge?
About 28 m of climbing over 1.6 km at a 1.8–2.5 % grade. Modest in isolation; race-defining because it comes at km 25 with no crowd noise to mask effort.
How cold is NYC Marathon morning?
Early November sees 5–13 °C race-day temperatures; the Verrazzano start can be cold and windy at 09:00 wave time.
Why is First Avenue so dangerous to pace?
After 4 km of bridge work, the crowd at First Avenue triggers a tempo lift that can cost 10–20 seconds per km for the final 10 km.
Get your personalized strategy
The numbers above are samples. Sign up free and get the full TCS New York City Marathon strategy from your VDOT, the current course model, Open-Meteo race-week forecast when available, and your nutrition preferences.
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New to the marathon? Start with our marathon pacing strategy guide or run the VDOT calculator.