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
See the full start timeline chart (with race numbers) below.
Start Timeline Full Chart
Scroll to the left on mobile to see full chart.
TIME | START | RACE NUMBERS |
---|---|---|
8:00 a.m. | Men's Professional Wheelchair Division | 200 – 249 |
8:02 a.m. | Women's Professional Wheelchair Division | 250 – 269 |
8:22 a.m. | Pushrim and Handcycle AWD Category I | 300 – 314; 315 – 374 |
8:22 a.m. | Pushrim and Handcycle AWD Category II and Select Ambulatory AWD Guide/Support | 270-299: 375 – 399; 400 – 439; 440 – 469; 470 – 499 |
8:25 a.m. | Mastercard Start | |
8:35 a.m. | Professional Women | 100 – 199 |
9:05 a.m. | Professional Men | 1 – 99 |
9:10 A.M. | WAVE START 1 | |
NYPD/FDNY Running Club | ||
Sub-Elite, AAWD Sub Elite and Guide/Support | 500 – 649; 650 – 654; 655 – 659 | |
Blue Start | 1200 – 1924; 3375 – 4099; 5500 – 6274; 7725– 8449; 9900 – 10264; 12075 – 12799 | |
Orange Start | 1925 – 2649; 4100 – 4824; 6275 – 6999; 8450 – 9174; 10625 – 11349; 12800 – 13524 | |
Local Competitive | 660 – 1199 | |
Pink Start | 2650 – 3374; 4825 – 5549; 7000 – 7724; 9175 – 9899; 11350 – 12074; 13525 – 14724 | |
9:45 A.M. | WAVE START 2 | |
Blue Start | 14725 – 15499; 16900 – 17624; 19075 – 19799; 21250 – 21974; 23425 – 24149; 25600 – 26324 | |
Orange Start | 15450 – 16174; 17625 – 18349; 19800 – 20524; 21975 – 22699; 24150 – 24874; 26325 – 27049 | |
Pink Start | 16175 – 16899; 18350 – 19074; 20525 – 21249; 22700 – 23424; 24875 – 25599; 27050 – 27774 | |
10:20 A.M. | WAVE START 3 | |
Blue Start | 27775 – 28499; 29950 – 30674; 32125 – 32849; 34300 – 35024; 36475 – 37199; 38650 – 39374 | |
Orange Start | 28500 – 29224; 30675 – 31399; 32850 – 33574; 35025 – 35749; 37200 – 37924; 39375 – 40099 | |
Pink Start | 29225 – 29949; 31400 – 32124; 33575 – 34299; 35750 – 36474; 37925 – 38649; 40100 – 40824 | |
10:55 A.M. | WAVE START 4 | |
Blue Start | 40825 – 41549; 43000 – 43724; 45175 – 45899; 47350 – 48074; 49525 – 50249; 51700 – 52424 | |
Orange Start | 41550 – 42274; 43725 – 44449; 45900 – 46624; 48075 – 48799; 50250 – 50974; 52425 – 53149 | |
Pink Start | 42275 – 42999; 44450 – 45174; 46625 – 47349;48800 – 49524; 50975 – 51699; 53150 – 53874 | |
11:30 A.M. | WAVE START 5 | |
Blue Start | 53875 – 54599; 56050 – 56774; 58225 – 58949; 60400 – 61124; 62575 – 63299; 64750 – 65475 | |
Orange Start | 54600 – 53324; 56775 – 57499; 58950 – 59674; 61125 – 61849; 63300 – 64024; 65475 – 66199 | |
Pink Start | 55325 – 56049; 57500 – 58224; 59675 – 60399; 61850 – 62574; 64025 – 64749; 66200 – 67000 |
Start Corrals / 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.
- 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.
- Your finish time is your net time from when you cross the start line.
Scroll Horizontally on Mobile
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.
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.
Quiet Space
A dedicated retreat for runners seeking calm before the race. This space, designed for all participants—including those with sensory sensitivities—provides a serene, low-stimulation environment to relax, recharge, and refocus amidst the race-day excitement, offering a moment of tranquility before taking on 26.2 miles.
Zen Zone
A tranquil area for meditation and mindfulness at the start village. Featuring live sessions, as well as self-guided audio recordings, the Zen Zone helps runners mentally prepare for the race ahead. Staff from the National Alliance on Mental Illness of New York City (NAMI-NYC) will also be on hand to provide additional mental health resources and support.
E-Waste
To support our sustainability efforts, e-waste recycling will be available at all waste diversion tents located at the start. Please dispose of any e-waste, including portable chargers, at these designated areas rather than in general trash bins.
NYRR Pace Team
The NYRR Pace Team members are some of the most experienced runners in New York City and the most knowledgeable runners on the course. They have an average success rate of 96.5% of hitting their target finish time. Pacers will be on hand to guide participants toward specific goal times over the 26.2 miles. Pace Team members will lead groups at various paces between 6:52 per mile and 13:45 per mile (between a 3:00 finish and a 6:00 finish).
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.
Find which start corrals our Pace Team members will be in on race day using the table below.
Scroll to the left on mobile to see full chart.
Wave 1 – 9:10 a.m. | ||
Pacer's Predicted Finish Time | Start Village & Corral | |
---|---|---|
NO PACER | Corral A | |
NO PACER | Corral A | |
NO PACER | Corral A | |
NO PACER | Corral B | |
NO PACER | Corral B | |
3:00 | Corral B | |
NO PACER | Corral C | |
NO PACER | Corral C | |
3:05 | Corral C | |
3:05 | Corral D | |
3:10 | Corral D | |
3:15 | Corral D | |
3:15 | Corral E | |
3:15 | Corral E | |
3:15 | Corral E | |
NO PACER | Corral F | |
3:20 | Corral F | |
3:20 | Corral F |
Wave 2 – 9:45 a.m. | ||
Pacer's Predicted Finish Time | Start Village & Corral | |
---|---|---|
3:25 | Corral A | |
3:25 | Corral A | |
3:30 | Corral A | |
3:30 | Corral B | |
3:30 | Corral B | |
3:30 | Corral B | |
3:30 | Corral C | |
NO PACER | Corral C | |
3:35 | Corral C | |
3:35 | Corral D | |
NO PACER | Corral D | |
3:40 | Corral D | |
3:40 | Corral E | |
NO PACER | Corral E | |
NO PACER | Corral E | |
3:45 | Corral F | |
3:45 | Corral F | |
3:45 | Corral F |
Wave 3 – 10:20 a.m. | ||
Pacer's Predicted Finish Time | Start Village & Corral | |
---|---|---|
3:45 | Corral A | |
NO PACER | Corral A | |
NO PACER | Corral A | |
3:50 | Corral B | |
3:50 | Corral B | |
NO PACER | Corral B | |
3:55 | Corral C | |
3:55 | Corral C | |
3:55 | Corral C | |
4:00 | Corral D | |
4:00 | Corral D | |
4:00 | Corral D | |
4:00 | Corral E | |
4:00 | Corral E | |
4:00 | Corral E | |
4:00 | Corral F | |
4:00 | Corral F | |
4:00 | Corral F |
Wave 4 – 10:55 a.m. | ||
Pacer's Predicted Finish Time | Start Village & Corral | |
---|---|---|
4:05 | Corral A | |
4:05 | Corral A | |
4:10 | Corral A | |
4:10 | Corral B | |
4:10 | Corral B | |
4:15 | Corral B | |
4:15 | Corral C | |
NO PACER | Corral C | |
4:20 | Corral C | |
4:20 | Corral D | |
4:25 | Corral D | |
4:25 | Corral D | |
4:30 | Corral E | |
4:30 | Corral E | |
4:30 | Corral E | |
4:30 | Corral F | |
4:30 | Corral F | |
NO PACER | Corral F |
Wave 5 – 11:30 a.m. | ||
Pacer's Predicted Finish Time | Start Village & Corral | |
---|---|---|
4:35 | Corral A | |
4:40 | Corral A | |
4:40 | Corral A | |
4:45 | Corral B | |
4:45 | Corral B | |
4:50 | Corral B | |
4:55 | Corral C | |
5:00 | Corral C | |
5:00 | Corral C | |
5:00 | Corral D | |
5:15 | Corral D | |
5:15 | Corral D | |
5:15 | Corral E | |
5:30 | Corral E | |
5:30 | Corral E | |
5:45 | Corral F | |
6:00 | Corral F | |
6:00 | Corral F |