Brooklyn Half Marathon 2027 fueling guide: water stations, the Maurten gel depot, Prospect Park hills, and a plan for your pace

The RBC Brooklyn Half is on Saturday, May 22, 2027. NYRR has not posted the 2027 wave times yet. At the last edition, the four waves started at 7:00, 7:30, 8:00, and 8:30 a.m. Based on the last edition’s official event guide, you get 10 fluid stations with water and Gatorade Endurance Formula, plus one Maurten Gel Depot just before mile 7 in Prospect Park. That is plenty of fluid. For most runners it is not quite enough fuel. Carry one to four gels, depending on your finish time, and treat the course gel as one planned dose.

The course comes in two halves. The first 7 miles loop around Grand Army Plaza and through Prospect Park, with almost all of the climbing. The last 6 miles run straight down Ocean Parkway to the Coney Island boardwalk, flat and often sunny. This guide covers what NYRR has published, where the stations are on the course map, when you will reach them at your pace, three fueling plans, and what to eat before an early wave. NYRR marks its maps as subject to change, so recheck everything below in race week.

Brooklyn Half Marathon 2027: the confirmed race facts

One rule matters for fueling. NYRR does not allow hydration packs with a bladder. If your vest holds both a bladder and bottles, you can only use bottles, and they must sit in the front pockets. Fuel belts and handheld bottles are fine. Bottles must be 1 liter or smaller. Pack your gels where you can reach them while running.

What is on the Brooklyn Half course: water stations and the gel depot

The station list below is based on the last edition’s official course map, current as of May 13, 2026. NYRR’s event guide said 10 fluid stations would serve Gatorade Endurance Formula and water, and the race director said on NYRR’s podcast that each one is laid out in the same order: misting, then Gatorade, then water. Locations are read from the map icons and are approximate. Ten water icons appear on the map; the mile 8 station shows no Gatorade icon, although the 2025 map had one there.

Two notes on the map. First, the station near mile 2 is drawn between Flatbush Avenue and East Drive, close to both the mile 2 and mile 5 markers, so it may serve the East Drive pass near mile 5 instead. Check the 2027 map before you build your plan around it. Second, the Maurten Gel Depot sits on the downhill of West Drive, just before the course leaves the park at Park Circle (NYRR also calls it Machate Circle) for Ocean Parkway. NYRR has not said which Maurten gel it hands out at this race. Maurten lists Gel 100 at 25 g of carbohydrate per 40 g sachet, with no caffeine, and Gel 100 Caf 100 at the same 25 g plus 100 mg of caffeine. Check the label before you squeeze. Maurten products were on sale at the last expo, so you can test the same gel before race day.

Gatorade Endurance Formula is stronger than regular Gatorade. Gatorade lists 42 g of carbohydrate and 600 mg of sodium per 24 oz serving, which is about 21 g and 300 mg per 12 oz (355 ml). A cup grabbed at race pace holds about 100 to 150 ml, so count each full cup as 6 to 9 g of carbohydrate and about 85 to 125 mg of sodium. Four cups add up to roughly one gel.

When you will reach each station at your pace

The table shows elapsed time at each station for an even pace, measured from when you cross the start mat. Your real splits will be slower in Prospect Park, which holds the climbs, and a little faster on Ocean Parkway. A 1:30 runner reaches the Maurten depot at about 0:47, so one carried gel before that is plenty. A 3:00 runner gets there at about 1:33 and should already have had two doses.

Add your wave time to see the clock time. A 3:00 runner in Wave 4, at 8:30 a.m., reaches the last station around 11:13 a.m. and finishes around 11:30, in the warmest part of the morning.

Pick your plan: three runner profiles

The World Athletics consensus on distance running and the ACSM position stand both give 30 to 60 g of carbohydrate per hour for events of about one to two and a half hours. For efforts of roughly 45 to 75 minutes, they suggest small amounts or a sports drink mouth rinse. Intakes above 60 g per hour belong to longer races and need a glucose plus fructose product and a trained gut. A half marathon sits in the middle, so these plans are smaller than marathon plans. With 25 g gels, one every 30 minutes gives 50 g per hour, and one every 25 minutes gives 60 g.

Racing it: your race is short, so the job is to start full and top up twice. A 1:30 runner at 40 g per hour needs about 60 g in the race: a gel at the lake station around 0:24, the Maurten gel around 0:47, and a few cups of Gatorade. Take the first gel on the flat stretch by the lake, before the climb up East Drive, not on it. If you are much faster than 1:30, the guidance moves toward small amounts and sips.

Steady half: think in grams. A 2:00 race at 55 g per hour is about 110 g. The Maurten gel gives 25 g, and Gatorade at four stations adds roughly 25 to 35 g. That leaves two carried gels. Take one at the lake station (0:32), the Maurten gel at the depot (1:02), and the other just before mile 10 on Ocean Parkway (1:31). That spaces your doses about 30 minutes apart. At 2:15 to 2:30, add a half gel or extra Gatorade near mile 11.

Long day: three hours on the course changes the math. Fifty grams per hour over 3:00 is 150 g. The Maurten gel and five or six cups of Gatorade cover about 55 to 80 g, so carry three or four gels. A good rhythm for a 3:00 finish is a carried gel at mile 2 (0:27), Gatorade at the lake (0:48), a carried gel at mile 5.5 after the climb (1:16), the Maurten gel at 6.8 (1:33), a carried gel at mile 8.9 (2:02), and a last gel or half gel at mile 10.9 (2:30). Small, frequent doses work best.

Caffeine, sodium, and the gel depot

• Caffeine: the ISSN position stand supports 3 to 6 mg per kg taken about 60 minutes before exercise. A 70 kg runner is at 210 mg with 3 mg per kg. One Maurten Gel 100 Caf 100 adds 100 mg; take it only if you have used it in training.
• Wave timing changes caffeine timing. Coffee at breakfast works for Wave 1. For Waves 3 and 4, a practised caffeinated gel 30 to 45 minutes before your start keeps caffeine on board when you need it.
• Sodium: Gatorade Endurance gives roughly 85 to 125 mg per cup. On a mild May morning that is enough for most runners. Salty sweaters on a warm, sunny day may want a tested salt product as well.
• At the depot: grab one gel, keep moving down the hill, and drink water at the same station or the one before mile 8. Squeeze it in two or three goes rather than all at once.
• Tear the top of your own gel before a station, so you can drink with the same hand.

Hydration for a mid-May morning in Brooklyn

NOAA’s 1991 to 2026 normals for Central Park put the average high on May 22 at 73 °F (23 °C) and the average low at 57 °F (14 °C). Sunrise is around 5:30 a.m., so Wave 1 starts in cool air, and later waves run into a warmer, brighter morning. The race director called the Brooklyn Half a milder race than the March NYC Half and pointed out that Ocean Parkway has the least shade on the route if the day is sunny. NYRR added misting stations along the course at the last edition. Drink to thirst, and do not finish heavier than you started: World Athletics warns against drinking more than you sweat.

• With 10 stations, you do not need to carry a bottle for fluid. A small handheld helps only if you like to sip often or run in Wave 4 on a hot day.
• The last station is just before mile 12. From there it is 1.2 miles (1.9 km) to the finish, where NYRR hands out water on the boardwalk and, at the last edition, ice towels if the weather called for them.
• Pre-race fluids were available inside the secure start area at the last edition, so you do not need to carry a large bottle through security.
• Seek help at a medical tent for confusion, severe headache, repeated vomiting, or collapse. The last map showed medical tents near the 10K mark and on Ocean Parkway near miles 8 to 12.

Breakfast for a 7:00 to 8:30 start

A familiar carbohydrate-rich meal one to four hours before racing is the standard advice in both the World Athletics consensus and the ACSM position stand. Your wave sets your timing. At the last edition, Wave 1 runners had to arrive by 5:45 a.m. and Wave 4 runners by 7:15. The race director advised getting to the start 30 to 45 minutes before your wave’s arrival time to clear the security lines, with more than 27,000 people arriving. That puts breakfast at about 4:00 to 4:30 a.m. for Wave 1 and 5:30 to 6:00 a.m. for Wave 4.

• Two and a half to three hours before your wave: a practised meal such as a bagel or oatmeal with honey, a banana, and a familiar drink, about 1 to 2 g of carbohydrate per kg.
• Sixty to ninety minutes before: a small low-fibre top-up, eaten on the subway or in the corral area, such as a banana or a few plain crackers.
• Ten to fifteen minutes before your wave: an optional gel, only if used in training.
• Pack food and gels so they pass security quickly; NYRR asks runners to have their items ready for the screening baskets.
• The day before, eat normal meals with extra carbohydrate. A half does not need a full marathon carb load.

Course tactics: Grand Army Plaza, the Prospect Park hills, and Ocean Parkway

The race director calls Prospect Park sneaky hilly, and the official elevation chart backs that up: the course starts at about 150 ft (46 m), peaks at 153 ft (47 m) near mile 6, and drops to about 12 ft (4 m) on Ocean Parkway. The numbers below are read from that chart and are approximate.

• Miles 0 to 1.5: south on Washington Avenue, west on Empire Boulevard, then north up Flatbush Avenue to Grand Army Plaza. The chart dips to about 80 ft (24 m) and climbs back to about 150 ft (46 m). Start easy; the climb comes in the first 15 minutes.
• Miles 1.5 to 3: around Grand Army Plaza and back down Flatbush and Ocean Avenue to 61 ft (19 m) at mile 3. This out-and-back lets you see other runners. Do not race the downhill.
• Miles 3 to 4: along Parkside Avenue and into the park beside the lake, nearly flat. This is the best place for your first gel, at the lake station.
• Miles 4 to 5: the main climb, up East Drive from 69 ft (21 m) to 147 ft (45 m), a rise of about 80 ft (24 m). Run it by effort, not pace, and do not take a gel on it.
• Miles 5 to 7: over the top of the park and down West Drive, from the 153 ft (47 m) high point near mile 6 to 54 ft (16 m) at mile 7. The Maurten depot is on this descent, just before you exit at Park Circle.
• Miles 7 to 12: Ocean Parkway, wide, straight, and gently downhill to about 12 ft (4 m). There are no turns and little shade. Settle into a rhythm and eat on schedule at the stations before each mile marker.
• Miles 12 to 13.1: past the Belt Parkway toward Brighton Beach, then west to a short rise onto the Coney Island boardwalk. At the last edition NYRR moved the finish about 200 ft (60 m) farther along the boardwalk, and the race director warned that the pedestrian bridge you see first is not the finish.

The long-run rehearsal that makes the plan real

With more than six months to go, you have time to practise properly. In April and early May, do at least two runs of 10 to 13 miles at your likely wave time, after the same breakfast, carrying the same gels and taking them at the same elapsed times. Put the hills in the first half, as the course does: a loop of Prospect Park is ideal if you live nearby. If you plan to use the course gel or Gatorade Endurance Formula, buy them and test them here.

Do one rehearsal on a warm morning if you can, so you know how much you drink when the sun is out. Then simplify. If carrying three gels is awkward, lean on the Maurten depot and drink Gatorade more often. If a gel every 30 minutes feels stressful, link your gels to the course instead: one at the lake, one at the depot, one before mile 10. The best plan is the one you can still follow on Ocean Parkway at mile 10.

Race-week Brooklyn Half checklist

• Download the 2027 course map and event guide when NYRR posts them: confirm the wave times, the station positions, and the Maurten depot location.
• Pick up your bib at the expo. At the last edition it ran Wednesday to Friday at the LeFrak Center at Lakeside in Prospect Park, and no bibs were available on race morning. Bring your QR code and photo ID.
• Plan your arrival: your wave’s entrance, the subway stop, and 30 to 45 minutes for security.
• Lay out every carried item, add one backup gel, and write grams and timing on one card.
• Check the forecast 48 hours out and adjust fluid, sodium, and pacing for heat, not the whole plan.
• Do not switch to a new gel at the expo because the flavor sounds good.

Frequently asked questions

Sources and update notes

1. 12027 RBC Brooklyn Half, Team for KidsNew York Road RunnersAccessed November 2, 2026; 2027 race date, May 22, 2027
2. 22026 RBC Brooklyn HalfNew York Road RunnersAccessed November 2, 2026; May 16, 2026, 7:00 a.m. start, Coney Island boardwalk finish, Maimonides Park, expo at the LeFrak Center, no race-morning bibs, Maurten products at the expo, pace bands 1:20 to 3:15
3. 32026 RBC Brooklyn Half Course Map (PDF)New York Road RunnersCurrent as of May 13, 2026; water, Gatorade, misting, Maurten Gel Depot, and medical icon positions; elevation chart with 246 ft (75 m) total gain
4. 42026 RBC Brooklyn Half Event Guide (PDF)New York Road RunnersWave start, arrival, and corral times; 10 fluid stations with Gatorade Endurance Formula and water; Maurten Gel Depot just before mile 7; hydration vest and bottle rules; finish and bag claim
5. 5Everything You Need to Know About the RBC Brooklyn Half (podcast transcript, PDF)New York Road Runners, Set the PaceRace director: 10 aid stations with Gatorade and water, one Maurten gel station, misting stations, more than 27,000 participants, security timing, pre-race fluids, Prospect Park hills, Ocean Parkway shade, moved finish line
6. 62026 RBC Brooklyn Half Start Area Map (PDF)New York Road RunnersCurrent as of May 11, 2026; start on Washington Avenue, wave entrances, bag check, and security locations
7. 7NYRR Time Cutoff PolicyNew York Road RunnersThe RBC Brooklyn Half is excluded from the standard cutoff policy; runners are referred to the race page for the course timeline
8. 8Gel 100Maurten25 g carbohydrate per 40 g sachet; Gel 100 Caf 100 adds 100 mg caffeine
9. 9Gatorade Endurance Formula Lemon-LimeGatorade42 g carbohydrate and 600 mg sodium per 24 oz serving
10. 10U.S. Climate Normals 1991 to 2020, New York Central Park (USW00094728)NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationDaily normals for May 22: high 72.8 °F (22.7 °C), low 56.6 °F (13.7 °C)
11. 11NOAA Solar CalculatorNOAA Global Monitoring LaboratorySunrise in Brooklyn on May 22, 2027, about 5:30 a.m. EDT
12. 12International Association of Athletics Federations Consensus Statement 2019: Nutrition for AthleticsInternational Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism (Burke et al., 2019), PMID 30952204Pre-race meal, carbohydrate, and hydration guidance
13. 13Contemporary Nutrition Strategies to Optimize Performance in Distance Runners and Race WalkersInternational Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism (Burke et al., 2019), PMID 30747558Carbohydrate intake during events of one to two and a half hours and longer
14. 14Nutrition and Athletic Performance: Joint Position StatementMedicine and Science in Sports and Exercise (Thomas et al., 2016), PMID 2689116630 to 60 g per hour for 1 to 2.5 hours; small amounts or mouth rinse for 45 to 75 minutes; 1 to 4 g per kg before exercise
15. 15A Step Towards Personalized Sports Nutrition: Carbohydrate Intake During ExerciseSports Medicine (Jeukendrup, 2014), PMID 24791914Multiple transportable carbohydrates and intakes above 60 g per hour
16. 16International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: Caffeine and Exercise PerformanceJISSN (Guest et al., 2021), PMID 333880793 to 6 mg per kg about 60 minutes before exercise