World Marathon Major • 5 Boroughs

NYC Marathon Fueling Calculator

Five bridges, constant elevation shifts, and electric crowds burn glycogen rapidly. Calculate your exact hourly carbohydrates, sodium balance, and hydration to conquer Central Park and finish strong.

Official NYC Aid Station Roadmap

Official Maurten Gel Zone, Gatorade Endurance tables, and key bridge elevation markers.

Maurten Gel Gatorade / Water Bridge / Incline
Start • Fort Wadsworth (Staten Island) Mile 0.0

Climb the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge (highest point on course). Water & Lemon-Lime Gatorade Endurance tables located at every mile from Mile 3 through 25.

Course Alert: 18-Mile Gel Drought Miles 0–18

Zero official gels are provided through Brooklyn or Queens. You must carry sufficient personal fuel to power through the first two-thirds of the race.

Hazard: Queensboro Bridge Climb Mile 15.0

Eerie quiet with no spectators on the climb. Take a gel at Mile 14.5 to protect legs before emerging onto the deafening roar of First Avenue.

Maurten Gel Zone (Sole Handout) Maurten
Mile 18.0

First Avenue & 96th Street. Maurten Gel 100 & Gel 100 CAF 100 available. Essential energy before crossing into the Bronx.

Terrain Alert: 5th Avenue False Flat Mile 23.0

Grueling gradual incline alongside Central Park from 110th to 90th Street. Maintain cadence and take final fuel.

Finish • Central Park (Tavern on the Green) Mile 26.2

Exit Central Park South back into the park to the finish. Collect your medal, heat sheet, and recovery bag.

Total Official Gels
1 Single Station (Mile 18)

Maurten Gel 100 & Gel 100 CAF 100 (25g carbs) are provided at Mile 18 on First Avenue only.

On-Course Hydration
Gatorade & Water Every Mile

Poland Spring water and Lemon-Lime Gatorade Endurance at every mile station from Mile 3 to 25 (excluding bridge spans).

Personal Carry Strategy
Carry All 6 Gels

Self-Reliant (Recommended): Carry all 6 gels to power through the 5 bridge inclines without experiencing hypoglycemia before Mile 18.

Hybrid Option: Carry at least 4 personal gels to conquer Brooklyn and the Queensboro Bridge, grabbing the Mile 18 Maurten as your 5th fuel.

Hours
Minutes
Carbs / Hour

65g

Total: ~228g
Fluid / Hour

500ml

Total: ~1.8L
Sodium / Hour

500mg

Total: ~1750mg

Recommended NYC Race Kit

~£25 - £35
SiS Beta Fuel 6x Gels

40g dual-source carbs (1:0.8). Essential to fuel Brooklyn and Queens before the Mile 18 Maurten zone.

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SaltStick FastChews ~1750mg

Chewable electrolyte tablets to maintain sodium levels on steep bridge descents.

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Salomon Soft Flask 1.8L (4x 500ml)

Lightweight bottle to take calm, measured sips away from packed official cup tables.

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NYC Marathon Fueling Timeline & Intake Windows

Estimated burn: 2,750 kcal | Target: 3h 30m

New York City Marathon Course Nutrition & 5-Borough Strategy

On-Course Nutrition Setup

  • • Gel Partner: Maurten Gel 100 and Gel 100 CAF 100 (25g carbs/gel).
  • • Official Gel Zone: Stationed at Mile 18 in Manhattan.
  • • Hydration Tables: Water and Gatorade Endurance Formula at every mile from Mile 3 through Mile 25 (excluding bridges).
  • • Course Elevation: Over 250m (800+ ft) of total gain across 5 bridge climbs and Central Park.

The "Queensboro Silence" Trap

At Mile 15, you climb the quiet, steep gradient of the Queensboro Bridge with no spectators. Runners who haven't fueled properly hit muscular despair on the bridge span, only to emerge unprepared for the deafening roar of First Avenue. Fuel at Mile 14.5 before you hit the incline.

Staten Island Waiting & Verrazzano-Narrows Surge

Because of early ferry shuttles, runners wait hours in Fort Wadsworth before the start. Have a 50g carbohydrate snack (banana or bagel) 90 minutes before your corral closes, plus an energy gel 15 minutes before the gun. The opening climb over the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge is the highest point of the race—do not burn your glycogen chasing pace up the incline.

Tackling 5th Avenue & Central Park Finish (Miles 23–26)

Leaving the Bronx, the climb up 5th Avenue past Harlem (Miles 23–24) is a grueling false flat. Central Park features rolling terrain, peaking with Cat Hill before the dip toward Central Park South. Taking a final gel at Mile 22 provides the circulating blood glucose required to power through the rolling climbs into the Tavern on the Green finish.