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New York for the marathon
Photo: Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Sample trip

New York for the marathon

Five days for a couple in November, one of you running: the expo, a shakeout in Central Park, race day across all five boroughs with a plan for the one cheering, and a slow day after.

5 days, 4 nightsFor a couple, one runningUpper West Side hotel by the finishThe marathon and a city weekend
Upper West SideUpper West SideStaten IslandStaten IslandBrooklynBrooklynFirst AvenueFirst AvenueCentral ParkCentral Park
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The New York City Marathon starts on Staten Island, crosses the Verrazzano bridge with the whole city ahead, and runs through Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Manhattan to the finish in Central Park. We plan the weekend around it: a hotel a few blocks from the finish, the expo on a quiet slot, the ferry to the start, and a route for the supporter that catches the runner three times.

Arrival and the expo

Day1

Getting there

Fly into JFK or Newark; a car to the Upper West Side takes about an hour.

Where you're staying

Hotel Beacon, on Broadway at 75th Street, next to the Beacon Theatre and two blocks from Central Park: large rooms and suites with kitchenettes, useful for a runner's breakfast.

  • Four nights, a short walk from the finish and the family reunion area on Central Park West
  • Rated 8.7 on Booking.com from about 2,700 reviews
  • Marathon weekend rates for 2027 are not on sale yet; a normal mid-November week was about CHF 400 a night (estimate)
The hotel on Broadway
The Beacon sign
A suite
The building

Photos: beaconhotel.com

Afternoon

Bib pick-up at the expo in the Javits Center, on the time slot you chose in your New York Road Runners account. Check that your start transport, ferry or bus, is set in the account.

Shakeout in the park

Day2

The morning

An easy 5 km in Central Park, along the last mile of the course: Central Park South, Columbus Circle and the finish at Tavern on the Green, so race day holds no surprises.

  • Drop the finish-line bag in the park today or tomorrow if you selected one; nothing comes back from the start
  • Hydration vests with a back bladder are not allowed; front bottles are fine
The finish line in Central Park

Photos: Wikimedia Commons (www.elbpresse.de, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Lunch

Smoked fish and bagels at Barney Greengrass on Amsterdam Avenue, an Upper West Side institution since 1908, then feet up for the afternoon.

Dash to the Finish

Day3

The day

The Dash to the Finish Line 5K in the morning, both of you if you like, then a quiet day and an early pasta dinner.

Flagship day

Race day

Day4

Day 4 · Sun 7 Nov

The runner

An early Staten Island Ferry from the bottom of Manhattan, the Statue of Liberty in the dawn, a short bus to the start villages at Fort Wadsworth, and then the New York City Marathon: the Verrazzano, Brooklyn, the long climb of the Queensboro Bridge and the wall of noise on First Avenue.

  • Throwaway layers for the wait: they are collected for charity at the start
  • The start is a long, slick process with security; the ferry gives you room to eat and relax
  • Entry comes from the ballot, a charity place or an official international tour operator; we arrange the last
The start on the Verrazzano bridge
Waiting in the start village
Runners on the bridge
The field in Manhattan

Photos: Wikimedia Commons (Martineric from Lille, France., CC BY-SA 2.0; GhostDust, CC BY-SA 4.0; Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York, CC BY 2.0; User:Postdlf, CC BY-SA 3.0)

Five boroughs

The course starts on Staten Island and passes through Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx before finishing in Manhattan: all five boroughs in 42 km.

The supporter

Brooklyn at mile 8 (Fourth and Atlantic, many subway lines), then the subway to First Avenue for miles 16 to 18; stand on the west side, or you cannot cross back. Last, the reunion on Central Park West.

Medal Monday

Day5

The day

Medal engraving, a slow walk on the High Line, a late lunch, and the evening flight home.

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