New York, United States
TCS New York City Marathon 2026 Pacing Plan
The only major that crosses all five NYC boroughs: it starts on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge's upper deck from Staten Island, runs through Brooklyn's crowds for the first half, crosses the Queensboro Bridge into Manhattan around mile 16 (the course's quietest, steepest stretch, since spectators aren't allowed on the bridge), then hits the roar of First Avenue, a brief loop into the Bronx, and a long finish down Fifth Avenue into Central Park.
Route shown is from the 2025 edition and may differ slightly from the current course.
Distance
26.5 mi
Gain / loss
+246ft / -325ft
Race date
Typical race-day weather
43°F, 10 mph
Weather is a 10-year seasonal average for this course's location and month, not a forecast for a specific date. See FAQ.
Elevation profile
Sample strategy: 3:45:00 goal
A real, AI-generated excerpt of what Splitshape produces for this exact course, not a hand-written example. Upload your own goal and recent results to get the full plan.
KM 0-3: You start on the Verrazzano bridge with a tailwind at your back, but the climb over the span costs you: 5:25/km in km 1 before the descent lets you drop to 4:49 and 4:46/km through km 3. Don't let that downhill speed fool you into thinking you're ahead of schedule; this is bridge geometry, not fitness. Bank nothing here: you're simply riding the terrain, and the flat grind starts the moment you're off it.
KM 4-13: Brooklyn settles into a headwind-then-crosswind stretch at 5:04-5:18/km, with the only real variance coming from small rollers rather than fatigue. You cross 10K around 51:24. Check your watch there and confirm you're not chasing the early downhill pace. Km 13, right before the bridge into Queens, kicks up slightly (5:26/km): expect that, it's grade, not the start of a fade.
KM 14-23: This is the long, honest middle third: 5:05 to 5:15/km with a brief tailwind push around km 14-15 and a tougher headwind km at 17 (5:30/km) that will feel harder than the terrain alone suggests. You pass halfway near km 21, roughly 1:48:58 on the clock, still on pace and still not banking time. Hold effort steady through the crosswind of km 18-19 rather than fighting it.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the NYC Marathon feel so much harder than its 75m of elevation gain suggests?
The 75m gain is spread across five separate bridge crossings, each forcing a change in rhythm rather than one sustained climb. The Verrazzano-Narrows start and the Queensboro Bridge around mile 16 are the two biggest efforts, and because they come after long flat or crowd-fueled stretches, the muscular shift from bridge climbing back to flat pace repeatedly disrupts pacing more than the modest total elevation implies.
How should I pace the Queensboro Bridge section around mile 16?
This is the course's quietest and steepest stretch, with no spectators allowed on the bridge, so runners lose both crowd energy and visual pacing cues right as fatigue sets in. Treat it as a controlled effort rather than a push: hold back slightly on the climb and let the descent into Manhattan carry you into the noise of First Avenue rather than surging early.
Is a negative split realistic on this course given the five boroughs?
A negative split is difficult here because the second half includes the Queensboro Bridge climb, a Bronx loop, and the long Fifth Avenue drag into Central Park, all coming after the crowd-driven excitement of Brooklyn's first half. Most runners are better served by an even-effort strategy that deliberately conserves energy through the loud early miles so they have something left for the bridge and the later miles into the park.
What should I expect from the weather on NYC Marathon day?
Typical race-day conditions are cool, around 6.1°C, with wind near 16.1 km/h, cold enough to require a layering strategy for the start on the exposed Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge but generally favorable for distance running. The wind is worth planning for specifically on the bridges, where crossing over open water leaves runners more exposed than in the sheltered street sections through Brooklyn and Manhattan.
Why is the start on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge significant for pacing?
The race starts on the bridge's upper deck, immediately putting runners into a climb before they've settled into rhythm, and it's also one of the most wind-exposed points on the course given the 16.1 km/h typical wind. Starting conservatively here matters because the adrenaline of the opening miles combined with the bridge's incline and exposure can push runners into an effort level that's hard to sustain once they reach Brooklyn's flatter, crowd-heavy roads.
Build your TCS New York City Marathon plan
Upload your own GPX or use TCS New York City Marathon's course, set your goal and recent results, and get the full km-by-km strategy.
Your plan also includes a gel schedule timed to your splits on this course, and a carb loading guide. How the fueling plan works →
Build my TCS New York City Marathon plan →Splitshape is an independent pacing-plan tool and is not an official partner, sponsor, or affiliate of the TCS New York City Marathon or its organizers. Course data source: digitized from the official course.