An NYC Marathon Nutrition PSA
I was talking with some co-workers about the New York City Marathon, which is happening in about a week and a half, and realized that even though I haven’t run it in a while, I do indeed have much knowledge to share about the race. Nutrition and otherwise! Between 2010 and 2016, I ran the NYC Marathon five times (and six other marathons, somehow). It is my absolute favorite race and probably favorite day of the year in the city. Because it is so logistically complicated starting in Staten Island and ending in Central Park, planning your nutrition IS. A. MUST. Here are some thoughts to keep in mind.
Pre-race dinner
If you’re coming in from out of town and are overwhelmed by the busy-ness of Midtown (where a lot of the hotels are) and the hustle and bustle of downtown, head uptown a bit for your pre-race dinner. The Upper East Side is usually quite calm the night before the marathon. Some nice options for pasta or pizza are:
Multiple pre-race breakfasts are necessary
I’ve written about practicing pre-race breakfasts a bunch, and this is something I have my clients start doing during their training. For a race like New York, this means at least two separate breakfasts and some snacks, because there is a handful of hours from the time you wake up to the time you actually start the race. Transportation to Staten Island takes a lot of time, as does the wait for your wave to start. Your body is expending energy, some of it nervous energy, during this time and it’s super important to be topping off carbohydrate stores until the race starts. What does that look like? Here’s what I probably did during my last NYC and what I would definitely do now:
5:00AM - wake up, coffee, breakfast #1 of oatmeal, a little peanut butter, honey and dried fruit, sip on sports drink
6:00AM - cab to the ferry (the best way to get there, in my opinion) with packed snacks, sip on sports drink and maybe snack on some pretzels
7:00-7:30AM - eat breakfast #2 of a peanut butter, banana and honey sandwich, sip on sports drink. This is usually on the bus from the ferry or right upon arrival at the start village
8:00-8:15AM - sip on sports drink, maybe have a gel, banana or dried dates in start village, while staying in a continuous line for the porta potty (lol)
8:45-9:00AM - sip on sports drink in corral (hopefully there are porta potties here? I can’t remember!)
9:10-9:20AM - start the race! And of course, start executing a fueling plan. This plan can of course be adjusted for whatever wave you’re in. I have slowed with age and likely would not be in wave 1 anymore!
Bring many food options
It’s normal to be quite hungry during the taper period and the morning of the race because your body is busy storing glycogen, and it’s also normal to have no appetite due to nerves. Everyone is different here, so it’s helpful to have many palatable and easily digestible carbohydrate options. I love dried fruit as it’s not super filling but high in carbs (just be careful fiber-wise!), as well as gummy chews like Honey Stingers, bananas, pretzels and crackers, juice and sports drink. You will also need that second breakfast, so a sandwich of some kind, bagel, oatmeal or rice in Tupperware is very much key.
Also bring throw away layers
Shivering expends energy, so if it’s cold you will need layers to keep warm and toss right before the start. NYC has lots of Goodwill locations which are perfect for inexpensive sweats and jackets, and they’ll get donated right back after the race.
Bring a water bottle for the first part of the race
If you’ve trained with a handheld water bottle, or even if you haven’t, this is something to think about for the first half or so of the race because the first few fluid stations are super crowded, and having your own fluids alleviates the stress of getting over to the tables and not tripping over people or cups. Once the race thins out, it gets much easier. I usually toss the bottle somewhere, or throw it to family or friends to keep.
Speaking of fluids and fuel on course
Here is a link to the fluids and fuel that will be on the course. If you’ve never tried the brand of gels they’re giving out at miles 12 and 18 (I personally have not), during the race is probably not the time in order to avoid any GI distress. Gatorade Endurance formula will be at most fluid stations, so it’s also good to know how you tolerate that should you need it.
Don’t skip fuel on Fifth Avenue
The hardest part of the race, in my opinion, is Fifth Avenue heading up to Central Park, miles 21 to almost 24. There is a gradual and painful hill, and it takes a loooong time to get to the park. Do not skip fuel here due to fatigue or thinking you don’t need it because the race is “almost over.” YOU DO NEED IT.
I hope this was helpful!