New York City Marathon fueling at a glance
Every fact on this page in one block, for the runner who wants the answer and nothing else.
- Race
- TCS New York City Marathon, 1 November 2026
- Distance
- 42.195 km / 26.2 mi
- Aid tables on the course
- 20
- First table
- mile 3 (km 4.8)
- Spacing after the first table
- every 1 to 2 miles
- Water
- at every table
- Sports drink
- Gatorade Endurance Formula (Lemon-Lime), at every table
- Drink strength
- 6.2 g carbohydrate per 100 ml
- Gel handout
- Maurten Gel 100 / CAF 100, mile 12 (km 19.3) and mile 18 (km 29), 2 points
- Food on course
- bananas at mile 21
- Personal refreshment
- not accepted for the mass field
- Published sodium
- 870 mg per litre in the course drink, maker’s mix
- Total climb
- 411 ft, steepest grade 3.9%
- Typical carbohydrate target
- 60 to 90 g an hour
- Gels to carry, 3:45 at 75 g/h
- 5 to 6 using the course drink, 12 carrying everything
New York fueling questions, answered
Is there Gatorade on the New York City Marathon course?
Yes. Gatorade Endurance Formula (Lemon-Lime) is at every table, mile 3 to mile 25, alongside water. Maurten Gel 100 / CAF 100 is handed out at miles 12 and 18.
Where are the gel stations at the New York City Marathon?
Miles 12 and 18, which is km 19.3 and km 29. There is water at each of them. NYRR says gel supply is limited and not guaranteed, one gel for each runner at each station. Plan to carry the rest of your own.
How many gels do I need for the New York City Marathon?
It depends on your carbohydrate target and how much of the course drink you take. At 75 g an hour a 3:45 finish needs about 280 g. Drinking one cup of Gatorade at every other table covers roughly 90 g of that, which leaves about 8 gels of 25 g, 2 of them handed out on the course, so carry 6. Drinking half a litre of Gatorade an hour, carry 5. The grid above works this out for any finish time.
Is the New York City Marathon hilly?
Yes. Our course profile shows 411 ft of climbing across 26.2 miles with 2 climbs steeper than 3%: the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge in the first mile and the Queensboro Bridge from mile 15 to 16. CarbRate keeps your gels off those climbs and on the tables either side of them, and arrival times assume even pace only as a rough guide.
Does New York have electrolytes or sodium on the course?
Yes. Gatorade Endurance carries about 870 mg of sodium per litre as the maker mixes it, which is above the 600 mg per litre target. The race does not publish its own dilution. If you carry your own water instead, bring your own sodium plan.
Is there food on the New York City Marathon course?
Bananas at mile 21. Every other table is water and Gatorade Endurance only.
How far apart are the water stations at New York?
The first table is at mile 3. After that they come every 1 to 2 miles. The longest gap after the start is mile 4 to mile 6, about 3.2 km, which is 18 minutes at 4:00 pace and 23 minutes at 5:00 pace.
When will I reach the gel station at mile 12?
At even pace: 1:36 into a 3:30 race, 1:43 into a 3:45, 1:50 into a 4:00, and 2:17 into a 5:00. Enter your own goal time in the station table above to see every table.
Where are the aid stations at the New York City Marathon?
There are 20, at miles 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25. All 20 have water. Every one of them also has Gatorade Endurance Formula (Lemon-Lime).
Can I carry all of my own fuel at the New York City Marathon?
Yes. New York does not take personal bottles from the mass field, so everything you carry starts on you at the gun, with water at every table to top a flask from. Carrying everything at 75 g an hour is 12 gels of 25 g for a 3:45 finish, or 10 if you take the course gels.
How much carbohydrate should I take during the New York City Marathon?
60 to 90 grams an hour, set by your body size and by how much your stomach has practised absorbing. Start at the rate you have already trained at rather than the rate you want: 90 g an hour is a target to build toward over a training cycle before you race on it.
Do I need to carry water at the New York City Marathon?
Only for the opening 3 miles. The first table is at mile 3, about 26 minutes into a 3:45 race, and after that tables come every 1 to 2 miles. If your first feed comes before mile 3, carry the fluid for it from the start line.
What should I eat before the New York City Marathon?
1 to 4 g of carbohydrate per kg of body weight in the 1 to 4 hours before the start, from food you have already eaten before long runs. A 68 kg runner eating 3 hours before the start needs roughly 130 to 200 g of carbohydrate. New York sets off in waves, so work backwards from your own wave time rather than from the elite start.
