Preparing for the 2026 New York City Marathon: bridges, wind and effort management
The New York City Marathon is run on the first Sunday of November through the five boroughs. It is not a course for a fast time: five bridges, a late start and a huge crowd make it a race of management. Here is how to approach it with a plan built on your Garmin data.
Last updated: 2026-09-19
A course won in the hills
The Verrazzano bridge at the start, the Queensboro bridge at the 25th kilometre and the final climb in Central Park: New York adds up to nearly 250 metres of climbing, spread over short but sharp bumps. Wind on the bridges can add the equivalent of 10 seconds per kilometre.
Your plan must therefore include hills. The AI coach replaces one threshold session in three with uphill repeats in the eight weeks before the race, if you give it this course as your goal.
The late start changes the whole day
Depending on your wave you will start between 9:10 and 11:00, after several hours of waiting on Staten Island. Breakfast at 5 a.m. is no longer enough: plan a second light intake an hour before the start, tested in training on a long run.
The plan schedules two late-morning long runs in the last six weeks, precisely to rehearse this routine.
Pacing strategy for New York
Forget your Valencia or Berlin time: count 3 to 5 minutes more than your reference, more if the wind is head-on over the bridges. The plan's instruction: target pace plus 15 seconds per kilometre to the 10th, target pace afterwards, and accept losing 20 seconds per kilometre on Queensboro without making it up later.
- Km 1 to 10: target pace + 15 s/km.
- Km 11 to 24: target pace.
- Km 25 to 26 (Queensboro): + 20 s/km, no catching up.
- Km 27 to 42: target pace, then Central Park by feel.
The descent onto First Avenue is trap number one: the crowd carries you, you speed up, you pay for it at the 35th. The watch with its pace range is your guardrail.
Frequently asked questions
When is the 2026 New York City Marathon?
The first Sunday of November, as every year. Check the exact date on the official website before entering it in your plan.
Do you need a qualifying time?
Not for most runners, who enter through the lottery, a tour operator or a charity. Qualifying times only give guaranteed entry.
What goal should you set in New York?
Your reference time plus 3 to 5 minutes. It is a marathon of experience more than of time: better to finish strong in Central Park than to blow up at the 35th.
Ready to prepare for your marathon?
Pick your race date and weekly session count: your AI coach builds the plan and pushes it to your Garmin.
Start the marathon plan