The Start
The TCS New York City Marathon start is spectacular! This page will provide helpful information to ensure you have a safe and seamless start experience.
Learn more about Transportation to the Start.
Please note that you may not check a bag at the start for transport to the finish; learn more on our Pre-Race Bag Check page.
We strongly recommend checking mta.info before you travel. You can also message the MTA on WhatsApp.
- Health and Safety Guidelines
- Security Measures
- NYRR Rules of Competition
- NYRR Event Alert System for Race-Day Conditions
Start Timeline
8:00 a.m. Professional Wheelchair Division
8:22 a.m. Handcycle Category and Select Athletes with Disabilities
8:35 a.m. Professional Women’s Open Division
9:05 a.m. Professional Men’s Open Division
9:10 a.m. Wave 1
9:45 a.m. Wave 2
10:20 a.m. Wave 3
10:55 a.m. Wave 4
11:30 a.m. Wave 5
Staging/Start Villages
- Only registered entrants and guides are allowed in Fort Wadsworth and the start area.
- Have your number visible to enter. The color of your race number indicates your start village.
- The only bag allowed into Fort Wadsworth is the clear official start village bag you received at the Expo. You may not check a bag at the start for transport to the finish. All bags are subject to inspection. Please review our prohibited items list.
- There are 1,700 toilets in the start villages and corrals.
- Medical staff is available in each village. If you feel ill, alert the medical staff.
- Runner amenities are available while supplies last, on behalf our sponsors, including Gatorade® Endurance Formula, Dunkin’® coffee, tea, hot cocoa, and bagels.
- We advise that you wear extra layers to keep warm. You may discard these items in labelled clothing bins that will be donated to All of Us.
- For the 2024 TCS New York City Marathon, there will be dedicated lactation spaces that provide pumping accommodations and amenities at the start village. Medela breast pumps will also be available, giving participants easy options for pumping. Personal breast pumps will be transported from the start to the finish lactation tents. No expressed milk will be transported at this time.
Start Corrals
- Runners assigned to different corrals and waves but wish to start together may do so by going to the corral and wave corresponding to the higher corral letter and number.
- Please follow the multilingual announcements for each wave instructing runners to line up in the corrals.
| Corral Timeline | Wave 1 | Wave 2 | Wave 3 | Wave 4 | Wave 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corrals Open | 8:10 AM | 9:05 AM | 9:45 AM | 10:25 AM | 11:00 AM |
| Corrals Close | 8:45 AM | 9:25 AM | 10:00 AM | 10:40 AM | 11:15 AM |
| Wave Start | 9:10 AM | 9:45 AM | 10:20 AM | 10:55 AM | 11:30 AM |
Start times are subject to change.
Start Lines/Waves
- Your race bib indicates your start wave, color, and corral. There are five start waves, three start colors (blue, orange, and pink), and six corrals per wave. Wave and corral assignments cannot be changed.
- Your finish time is your net time from when you cross the start line.
NYRR Pace Team
If you have a time goal on November 5, pacers can be a great resource to help you achieve that goal. The NYRR Pace Team members are some of the most experienced runners in New York City and they know the TCS New York City Marathon course well. They have an average success rate of 96.5% of hitting their target finish time. Pacers will lead groups to finish times between 3 hours and 6 hours and run even effort throughout the race.
Find Your Pacer
If you choose to run with a pace group, you can look for the NYRR Pace Team members in the start corrals wearing their blue-and-white-striped NYRR Pace Team singlets. You can also come to the Running Lab at the TCS New York City Marathon Expo to meet your pacer. Each pacer will carry signs that correspond with their respective finish times and paces. There is no fee to run with the pace team or sign-up process.
More information about finding your Pace Team member will be coming soon.
