About the Start
Start Villages
• Only officially registered entrants and guides are allowed in Fort Wadsworth and the start area. You must have your race or guide number visible to enter.
• The base color of your race number indicates your start village. The staging area for AWDs and guides, including wheelchair and handcycle entrants, is on New York Avenue adjacent to the green start village.
• The start villages are outdoors and may be damp and cold; warm clothing is recommended. You may be in your start village for several hours.
• There are more than 1,700 toilets in the start villages and in the corrals before the bridge. NYRR reserves the right to disqualify anyone who urinates anywhere except in the supplied toilets.
• Use the appropriate containers for trash, recycling, and clothing donations. Please, no signs larger than 11" x 17", and no signs staked into the ground.
• No smoking in the start villages.
• A full medical staff is available in each village. If you feel ill, alert the medical staff.
If you are unable to run, you will be put on a bus that will transport you to the finish area after the third wave has cleared the start line.
• A free breakfast consisting of tea, Poland Spring® Brand 100% Natural Spring Water, Gatorade® G Series Pro Prime and Gatorade® G Series Pro Endurance Formula, bagels, PowerBars, and Dunkin’ Donuts coffee will be available.
• Christian and Jewish religious services are provided in the open area.
Start Corrals
• Runners who are assigned to different corrals but wish to start together may do so by going to the corral and wave corresponding to the higher number.
• Race officials will make multilingual announcements when it’s time for runners to line up in the appropriate corrals. Please follow the instructions of the race officials, and follow the signs and video to enter your corral.
• If you’re running with an ING Runner’s Nation Pace Team Powered by Timex, look for your pace team leader in your corral. Leaders will wear “ING Runner’s Nation Pace Team Powered by Timex” shirts, carry signs color-coded to their start, and carry balloons printed with their goal finish time.
• We advise that you wear extra layers to keep warm after checking your bag. You may discard these items in marked bins before moving to the corrals.
Start Lines
• There will be three wave starts, at 30-minute intervals. Refer to the wave start timeline chart below for start times. Runners are assigned to starts and corrals according to the projected finish time (or pace per mile) provided on the marathon application. Wave start times cannot be changed.
• Your start line color is the same as your start village color and is indicated on your registration card and your race number.
• Your finish time will be your net time—that is, based on when you cross the start line. The last runners in each wave should clear the start in approximately 10 minutes.
Restrictions on Race-Day Baggage
The following restrictions apply to race-day baggage:
• All items must be placed in the official clear UPS baggage bag and must be clearly visible for inspection.
• All weapons, including firearms, knives, mace, etc.; any dangerous items; and any “dual-use” items that could be dangerous are strictly prohibited.
• No glass containers, flammable liquids, or explosives are permitted.
• Large packages, suitcases, strollers, carry-on luggage, knapsacks, tents, coolers, and other large parcels are not permitted.
• Sleeping bags are discouraged and will require a second inspection.
All persons specifically consent to and are subject to metal detector and physical pat-down inspections prior to entry. Any person or property that could affect the safety of National Parks Service occupants or property shall be denied entry.
