NYC Marathon Pace Band

Free tool

Type your goal for the TCS New York City Marathon on Sunday, Nov 1, 2026. We give you every mile split, your clock time at each marker and a pace band you can print or save, tuned for the bridges.

Mile by mile. Split is the time for the mile that ends at that marker. Clock is your time since you crossed the start line.
Mile	Split	Clock	Where you are

Course-smart splits are our estimate based on where the bridges and hills are. They are not an official NYRR pacing plan.

Mile markers come from the published mile marker placements for the 2023 course. Per NYRR, as reported by NY1, the Bronx section changes in 2026 for the first time in 15 years, so the markers around miles 20 and 21 (marked *) may move slightly. Trust the markers on the road.

How course-smart works

We start from your average pace, then add time on the climbs and give some back on the descents. At a 9:00 pace that means:

Mile 1, the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge climb: 15 seconds slower. Mile 2, the way down into Brooklyn: 10 seconds faster.
Mile 14, over the Pulaski Bridge at halfway: 4 seconds slower.
Miles 15 and 16, up and over the Queensboro Bridge: 4 and 16 seconds slower. Mile 17, down onto First Ave: 8 seconds faster.
Miles 20 and 21, the Willis Ave and Madison Ave bridges: 4 seconds slower each.
Miles 23 and 24, the long Fifth Ave incline: 4 and 10 seconds slower.
Miles 25 and 26, rolling Central Park: 3 seconds slower each.

Faster goals get proportionally smaller adjustments and slower goals get larger ones. The flat miles pick up the difference, so your finish time matches your goal to the second.

Your pace band

Actual size is 1.5 by 9 inches. One printed sheet gives you two bands, one for you and one for the spare pocket.

When printing, set the scale to 100% or Actual size, not Fit to page. Cut on the dashed line and wrap it with clear packing tape.

Grandma asked for a copy so she knows exactly when to start yelling.

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How to pace the NYC Marathon

The TCS New York City Marathon runs through all five boroughs. It starts on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge in Staten Island, crosses Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx, and finishes on West Drive in Central Park. Along the way you cross five bridges, and the last miles in Manhattan climb up Fifth Ave before rolling through the park. That is why one flat pace for every mile is not the whole story here.

Run the bridges by effort, not by pace

Your first mile is a climb up the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, with a crowded start. If you hit your goal pace there, you are working too hard. Let the climbs cost you a little time, hold the same effort, and let the downhill side give some of it back without sprinting.

Do not bank time in Brooklyn

You are in Brooklyn from about mile 2 to the Pulaski Bridge at the halfway mark, with big crowds on Fourth Ave. Running well ahead of your plan here feels great and usually gets paid back later. Aim to be close to your band at the 5K, 10K and half.

Stay calm coming onto First Ave

After the Queensboro Bridge you drop onto First Ave in Manhattan, one of the busiest viewing spots on the course. The noise after a quiet bridge pulls a lot of runners into a fast mile. Enjoy it, and keep it close to your split.

Save something for Fifth Ave and Central Park

After the Bronx you come back into Manhattan, then head down Fifth Ave on a long incline before entering Central Park near E 90th St. The park is rolling all the way to the finish. If you paced the first half well, this is where you get to pass people.

Where the bridges are

Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge: the start (mile 0) to about mile 2, where you come off into Brooklyn. Up first, then down.
Pulaski Bridge: mile 13.1, the halfway point, from Brooklyn into Queens. The bridge is closed to spectators.
Queensboro Bridge: miles 15 to 16, on the lower level, from Queens into Manhattan. The 25K mark is on the bridge.
Willis Ave Bridge: into the Bronx, with mile 20 just past it.
Madison Ave Bridge: back into Manhattan at mile 21.

After the bridges, mile 23 is on Fifth Ave at 103rd St, mile 24 is inside Central Park on East Drive, mile 25 takes you out along Central Park South to Columbus Circle, and the finish is on West Drive at W 67th St. In 2026 the Bronx section between the Willis Ave and Madison Ave bridges takes a new route, so markers there may shift slightly from the 2023 positions we use.

How to use a pace band

Pick a goal your training supports. A pace band holds you to a plan; it cannot make the plan realistic.
Print at 100% scale, cut on the dashed line, and wrap the band around your wrist or forearm. Cover it with clear packing tape so sweat and water cups do not smear it.
Check the band at the mile markers on the course, not at your watch's mile beeps. Watches often measure long in big races because of weaving, and GPS can struggle on the lower level of the Queensboro Bridge and between tall buildings.
Use the highlighted 5K, 10K, half, 30K and 35K rows as your big checkpoints. A few seconds either way at one marker is normal. A trend over several miles is the thing to react to.
If you fall behind on a bridge, do not chase it on the next mile. Course-smart splits already give you that time back slowly.

NYC Marathon pace band questions

When is the 2026 NYC Marathon?

NY1 reports the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon is scheduled for Sunday, Nov 1, 2026. Check NYRR for your wave and start time.

Is the course-smart plan an official pacing plan?

No. Course-smart splits are our estimate based on where the bridges and hills are. They are not an official NYRR pacing plan. Use them as a guide and run by feel on race day.

Should I run even splits or a negative split?

Even pace is simple and easy to check. A slight negative split starts a little slower and finishes a little faster, which suits runners who tend to fade. Course-smart keeps your effort even by giving the bridges and Fifth Ave a little extra time. All three finish at your goal time to the second.

What does the clock time on the band mean?

It is your elapsed time since you crossed the start line, which is what your watch shows if you start it on the mat. The race clocks on the course show time since your wave started, so they will read a bit higher.

Did the 2026 course change affect my splits?

The total distance is still 26.2 miles, so your finish time does not change. Per NYRR, as reported by NY1, the Bronx section between the Willis Ave and Madison Ave bridges takes a new route in 2026, so the markers around miles 20 and 21 may move slightly. Our mile notes use the 2023 marker positions.

How do I print two bands on one sheet?

Tap Print band. The page prints only the two bands side by side, each at 1.5 by 9 inches, on one letter-size sheet. Set the scale to 100% so they come out at actual size.