New York City Marathon Essentials: What to Bring to the Start Line

The New York City Marathon is right around the corner and we're celebrating marathon week by posting our best tips to take the stress out of race day. In today's post, we wanted to outline our strategies for navigating your way to the start and surviving athlete's village on Staten Island, no matter the weather or your start time.

What to Bring to the Start

Depending on your wave start time, you could spend anywhere from 60 minutes to a few hours in the athlete's village waiting for the start. It's important to prepare to ensure you're comfortable. Here's our recommended list of items to consider bringing the start:

• Food & Drink - make sure you bring your tried and tested pre-race fueling (that includes breakfast!). There will be plenty of water, bagels, gatorade and coffee in the village, but remember not to try anything new.
• Hat & Gloves - Keep your extremeties warm with a donatable pair of hat and gloves.
• Long Sleeve Hoodie - A hoodie can be donated before the start, keep you warm, and has a hood in case it's windy while you wait.
• Sweat Pants - A warm pair of sweatpants to keep the legs warm. Something to strip and donate before heading to the start line.
• Clear Poncho - A clear poncho can keep you warm, provide something to sit on, and keep you dry if it rains.
• Clear Garbage Bags - Garbage bags, like ponchos, can keep you warm, give you something to sit on, and, in a pinch, keep you dry. Remember to bring a clear one or it'll be taken from you!
• Mylar Space Blanket - A mylar sheet is another great way to stay warm and is small enough to fit in your pocket. I try to re-use one I got at the end of a previous race!
• Hand Warmers - Really cold? Hand warmers can keep your hands warm and can be placed in your shoes or gloves to keep your feet warm.
• Sunscreen - Good to reapply before the start, you're going to be in the sun for a few more hours. Sun Bum is vegan and reef friendly.
• Chapstick - Protect your lips from the sun and wind. Chapstick with SPF is a good idea.
• Dude Wipes - Great to have in case the porta-potties run out of toilet paper. Not just for dudes.

Transportation to the Start

Of all the races I've run, New York has one of the most logistically complicated journey's to the start. If you haven't already selected your transportation option, the deadline has passed and you'll need to figure out any remaining options by reading the official NYRR transportation guide.

Travel times to the start are typically 90 minutes long (with the exception of the New Jersey bus which is 60 minutes). You'll want to ensure that you arrive to board your bus 15-30 minutes before your scheduled departure time and expect a line waiting to board.

90 minutes is a long time to sit on a bus before a race but you'll have time to shake things out once you arrive at the athlete's village. Don't forget to bring food for this part, you're still a few hours away from starting the race and you need to fuel. While you may be tempted to read or listen to music, take advantage of the hum of energy of runners around you. Marathons are the best time to make new friends in the running community and you never know who you'll meet!

Security

There will be security checkpoints at the entrance to the athlete's village. Ensure that your bib number is visible and that the only bag you brought with you is the clear bag you received at the expo. Ensure that you read through the list of prohibited items, which includes no hydration packs with bladders, speakers, selfie-sticks, and more. You can find out more on the security around NYRR events here.

Weather

Oh! Hey! That's what we do best! Head to the New York City Marathon page for the most up-to-date weather information!

Starting Waves

There are five start waves, three start colors (blue, orange, and pink), and six corrals per wave. These can be found on your bib and will determine when and where you go to start your race. There will be signs in the village to help find your way based on wave and color. The starting times are as follows:

Gear Check

There is no bag check on race day! Any bags you would like available to you at the finish line must be done in advance at Rumsey Playfield in Central Park on Friday and Saturday before the race from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. More deets here.

Race Gear

Tomorrow we'll be going over a race gear checklist to put your packing list together. Stay tuned!

Thanks for reading! We'll update this article if we have any new tips to share. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us via email [email protected] or Instagram. Good luck!