Supplements for Runners — Running Nutrition | 6AM Run

The New York City Marathon is not just 26.2 miles. It is an early ferry, a long cold wait on Staten Island, five boroughs, five bridges, and a finish in Central Park hours after you woke up. That is why NYC breaks runners who fueled fine in training: they plan for the race, but not the whole day around it.

Start With the Math, Not a Guess

For most marathoners, the target during the race is 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrates per hour, starting early, not when you feel empty. Smaller runners and first-timers often do well starting at 45 to 60 grams per hour; experienced runners with a practiced gut can push higher. I broke down the full calculation in our marathon fueling calculator guide — do that math this week, while you can still adjust, not on race morning.

Then practice the exact plan on your last long runs. Same products, same timing, same breakfast.

Two Weeks Out: Taper and Stock Up

Mileage drops in the taper, but carbohydrate does not. Keep meals normal this week, sleep as much as life allows, and buy everything now: breakfast food, start-line fuel, race fuel, and a throwaway bottle. Our taper week nutrition guide covers the final three days, when you raise carbs and lower fiber and fat so you arrive full, not bloated.

• Final 3 days: Make carbs the center of every meal — pasta, rice, bread, potatoes, low-fiber cereal. Aim for roughly 8 to 10 grams of carbs per kilogram of body weight per day if you can do it comfortably.
• Hydrate steadily: Sip fluids with electrolytes through the day instead of chugging water the night before. Pale-yellow urine is the simple target.
• Cut the experiments: No new restaurants, no spicy victory tour, no extra fiber “because it is healthy.” Boring is fast in taper week.

The Night Before: Early, Familiar, Done

Eat dinner early — by 6 or 7 p.m. — high-carb, moderate-protein, low-fat and low-fiber: rice or pasta, simple sauce, bread, and a sports drink to top off. Full menu logic is in what to eat the night before a marathon. Have a small carb snack before bed, then lay out bib, throwaway layers, breakfast, and fuel in order.

Race Morning: You Have Two Breakfasts

NYC waves start late compared with most marathons, and many runners wake around 5 a.m. for a ferry or bus, then wait for hours. One early breakfast will not carry you to a 10 or 11 a.m. start. Plan for two feedings:

1. Breakfast one, at waking: 100 to 150 grams of easy carbs — oatmeal, bagel with jam, toast, banana, sports drink, coffee if that is your normal routine. This is the meal we detailed in what to eat the morning of a marathon.
2. Breakfast two, 60 to 90 minutes before your wave: Another 40 to 80 grams of simple carbs at the start village — half a bagel, applesauce pouch, pretzels, or portable fuel. Top off fluids, but stop forcing water in the final 30 minutes.

That long wait is exactly why I personally carry Marathon Gummies for NYC. I built them for mornings like this: portable carbs I can eat a few at a time in a corral, no sticky gel packet to open with cold hands, nothing that needs water to get down. Whatever fuel you trained with can do this job — the point is to choose something you can graze on during the wait instead of arriving at the start already three hours past breakfast. Honestly, if gels have always worked for you in training, stick with gels. Race day rewards the familiar.

Borough by Borough: Where Fueling Goes Wrong

Staten Island and Brooklyn (Miles 1–13)

The Verrazzano Bridge climb slows you at mile one — let it. Brooklyn is flat, loud, and fast-feeling, and this is where most runners overrun their plan and under-fuel because they feel great. Start fueling at 20 to 30 minutes in, then every 20 to 30 minutes, on schedule, not on feel. Drink to thirst at the fluid stations, taking a few real swallows, and pinch the cup to actually get it in.

Queens and the Queensboro Bridge (Miles 13–16)

The Pulaski Bridge into Queens is your halfway reality check: if you have not been fueling, this is your last easy chance to fix it. The Queensboro Bridge is long, quiet, and exposed, with no crowds and no stations on the climb. Take fuel right before it, and expect the effort to feel harder than the pace. That is normal — do not chase the watch uphill.

First Avenue and the Bronx (Miles 16–21)

Coming off the bridge into the roar of First Avenue is the most dangerous fueling moment of the day. The crowd makes everyone speed up. Hold your effort, keep your fueling timer, and add caffeine here if you planned it — around miles 17 to 20 is where it helps most runners, as I explained in caffeine for runners. The short Bronx loop is a good place for a final full fueling before the last stretch.

Fifth Avenue and Central Park (Miles 21–26.2)

The gentle, grinding climb up Fifth Avenue toward Central Park is where under-fueled races end — this is New York’s version of hitting the wall at mile 20. Take your last planned fuel around mile 21 or 22 even if your stomach is arguing; small, frequent bites beat one big dose. Once you are in the park, the fueling job is done. Run the hills you have left, use the crowds, and save the celebrating for Columbus Circle.

Fluids, Salt, and November Weather

NYC in November can be 40 degrees and windy or strangely warm. Cold hides sweat, but you still lose fluid and sodium for hours. Drink to thirst, take electrolytes, and do not force plain water past thirst. Full breakdown: how many electrolytes runners actually need.

After the Finish: The Long Walk Is Part of Recovery

Central Park makes you walk a long way after the finish, so get carbs, protein, and salt in as soon as your stomach allows, then a real meal within two hours. Follow how to recover after a marathon for the first week. On my own recovery days I use FinishLine, the amino drink I made for this window, because after 26.2 my appetite is unreliable — but any protein-rich meal you will actually eat does the same job.

Your NYC Fueling Checklist

• This week: Do your carbs-per-hour math, buy all race fuel, practice breakfast two on a morning run.
• Night before: Early, familiar, high-carb dinner; small carb snack before bed; everything laid out.
• Race morning: Full breakfast at waking, second feeding 60–90 minutes before your wave, sip electrolytes on the way.
• During: Fuel from minute 20–30, every 20–30 minutes, on schedule through mile 22 — especially before the Queensboro and up Fifth Avenue.
• After: Carbs + protein + salt within the hour, a real meal within two, and a proper recovery week.

New York rewards the runner who planned for the ferry, the wait, the bridges, and the last climb — and then executed, borough by borough. You did the training. Fuel like it.

See you out there at 6AM.

— Hami, 6AM Run