NYC Half Marathon 2027 fueling guide: water stations, the Maurten gel stop, start times, and a plan for your pace

The United Airlines NYC Half is on Sunday, March 21, 2027. Based on the last edition’s official course map, you get eight fluid stations with water and Gatorade Endurance Formula and one Maurten Gel Depot at about mile 8.2, on the FDR Drive. For most runners that is enough fluid, but not quite enough fuel. Carry one to four gels, depending on your finish time, and use the course gel as a planned swap. This guide shows what NYRR has published, when you will reach each station at your pace, and three plans to choose from.

The NYC Half is a park-to-park race: it starts by the Brooklyn Museum, climbs through Prospect Park, crosses the Brooklyn Bridge, runs flat along the East River, cuts across 42nd Street and Times Square, and finishes in Central Park. It is in March, so the start is usually cold and the waves go off over more than an hour. NYRR has not posted the 2027 station map or wave times yet, so recheck everything below in race week. If you are running the full marathon in November instead, our NYC Marathon guide covers that race.

NYC Half 2027: the confirmed race facts

The NYC Half does not use NYRR’s usual 20-minute-per-mile finish cutoff. Instead, the race has to hand the Brooklyn Bridge and the FDR Drive back to the city. At the last edition, the race director said every runner needed to reach the bridge by 10:20 a.m. and called the race walker friendly at 16 to 18 minutes per mile. If you start in Wave 4 at 8:30, that gives you 1 hour 50 minutes to reach the bridge, which tops out around mile 5. Even a 3:00 finisher gets there in about 1:09, so this matters only for walkers and late starters.

What is on the NYC Half course

The station positions below are read from the last edition’s official NYRR course map. The map shows each station with an icon, not an exact mile, so treat each one as plus or minus a tenth of a mile and recheck the new map in race week.

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. That is useful, but it does not replace carried fuel for most runners.

Maurten is NYRR’s official gel partner, and the race director said the gel zone is one stop on the route, with product also on sale at the expo. NYRR did not say which gels it hands out at the half. At its marathon it serves Maurten Gel 100 in black packaging (no caffeine) and Gel 100 Caf 100 in white packaging (100 mg caffeine). Both have 25 g of carbohydrate. Check the color before you squeeze, and treat the depot as a bonus: at the marathon NYRR warns that gel supply is limited and not guaranteed.

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. A 1:30 runner reaches the Maurten depot at 0:56, so one carried gel before that is plenty. A 2:30 runner gets there at 1:34 and should already have had two. A 3:00 runner reaches the last station at 2:48, which for a Wave 4 starter is after 11:15 a.m.

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 only small amounts or even 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 of that range, so the plans below are smaller than marathon plans. With 25 g gels, one every 30 minutes gives 50 g per hour, every 25 minutes gives 60 g, and every 20 minutes gives 75 g, which is more than most halves need.

Racing it: your race is short, so the job is to start full and top up once or twice. A 1:25 runner at 40 g per hour needs about 55 g in the race: two gels, or one gel plus three or four cups of Gatorade. If you are much faster than that, the guidance moves to small amounts and sips. Take your first gel on the flat stretch of Flatbush Avenue before the bridge, not on the climb, and the second at the Maurten depot or from your pocket around mile 8.

Steady half: think in grams. A 2:00 race at 55 g per hour is about 110 g. The course Maurten gel gives 25 g, and Gatorade at four stations adds roughly 25 to 35 g. That leaves two or three carried gels: one at about 25 minutes (mile 2.5 to 3), one at about 50 minutes (just after the bridge), the Maurten gel at mile 8.2, and an optional last one at mile 9.8.

Long day: three hours on the course changes the math. Fifty grams per hour over 3:00 is 150 g. The course gel and six cups of Gatorade cover about 60 to 80 g, so carry three or four gels. Small, frequent doses work best: half a gel every 15 minutes, or a full one every 30 minutes, with a cup of Gatorade at the stations you walk through. If you start in the last wave, eat on schedule in the first hour so you reach the Brooklyn Bridge well before the 10:20 a.m. time check.

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.
• For the fastest runners, a caffeinated gel 10 to 15 minutes before the start does more than one at mile 8, when the race is almost over.
• Sodium: Gatorade Endurance gives roughly 85 to 125 mg per cup. In a cool March half that is enough for nearly everyone. Salty sweaters on a warm day may want a tested salt product as well.
• At the gel depot: grab one gel, check the color (black has no caffeine, white has 100 mg), and drink water with it at the same station.
• Tear the top of your own gel before a station, so you can drink with the same hand.

Hydration for a cold March morning in New York

Around March 21, New York City averages a high of 52 °F (11 °C) and a low of 38 °F (3 °C), with about a 27 percent chance of a wet day and almost no muggy days. Sunrise is around 7:00 a.m., so Wave 1 starts in the coldest part of the day. The waves span more than an hour, and a 3:00 runner in Wave 4 finishes after 11:30 a.m. in milder air. NYRR’s race director warned that March in New York can swing from freezing to warm in a week, so plan for both. In cool weather, sweat losses over a half are modest. Drink to thirst, and do not finish heavier than you started: World Athletics warns against drinking more than you sweat.

• Wear throwaway layers to the start. NYRR collects donated clothing in the corrals.
• Gloves make gels hard to open. Practise with them, or tear the tabs a little before the start.
• Aid stations can fill bottles, according to the race director, so a small handheld lets you drink between stations.
• Seek help at one of the seven medical stations for confusion, severe headache, repeated vomiting, or collapse.

Breakfast for a 7:20 to 8:30 wave 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. At the last edition, waves started from 7:20 to 8:30 a.m., and the race director advised arriving 30 to 45 minutes before your wave to allow for security, bag drop, and toilets. With a subway ride to Grand Army Plaza or the Brooklyn Museum on top, a Wave 1 runner eats at about 4:30 to 5:00 a.m., and a Wave 4 runner at about 5:30 to 6:00.

• 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 before you go through security.
• Ten to fifteen minutes before your wave: an optional gel, only if used in training.
• Keep caffeine at the dose and timing you know; race morning is not the day to double it.
• In the day before, eat normal meals with extra carbohydrate. A half does not need a full marathon carb load; see our half marathon carb-loading guide.

Course tactics: Prospect Park, two climbs, and the FDR

• Miles 0 to 2: south on Washington Avenue, along Empire Boulevard, a short out-and-back on Flatbush Avenue, then into Prospect Park. The course climbs to its high point of about 157 ft near mile 2. Stay patient; two stations come early, and you do not need both.
• Miles 2 to 4.5: out through Grand Army Plaza and down Flatbush Avenue toward Tillary Street, dropping to about 38 ft by mile 4. This is the easy place for a first gel, with water at about mile 3.7.
• Miles 4.5 to 6: the Brooklyn Bridge climbs to about 136 ft near mile 5, then swoops down to the FDR Drive. Keep effort steady on the climb and let the descent come to you.
• Miles 6 to 9.5: the FDR Drive along the East River is almost flat, 10 to 16 ft, and runners often call it the slog. Use it to eat: Gatorade at 6.1, the Maurten depot at 8.2.
• Miles 9.5 to 11: off the FDR and west on 42nd Street past Grand Central to Times Square, then right onto Seventh Avenue, which climbs. Your last gel should be in by about mile 10.
• Miles 11 to 13.1: along Central Park South, into the park on the east side, across 72nd Street, and down to the finish at 67th Street. The finish is uphill in places, rising to about 83 ft. Save a little for it.

The long-run rehearsal that makes the plan real

With five months to go, you have time to practise properly. In February and early March, do at least two runs of 10 to 13 miles at your planned start time, after the same breakfast, carrying the same gels and taking them at the same clock times. If you plan to use the course gel or Gatorade Endurance Formula, buy them and test them here. Do one rehearsal in real cold, with gloves, so you know you can open a gel at mile 4.

The second rehearsal is where you simplify. If carrying four gels is awkward, lean on the Maurten depot and drink Gatorade more often. If a gel every 25 minutes feels stressful, link your gels to the course instead: one before the bridge, one at the depot, one at the 42nd Street turn. The best plan is the one you can still follow on the FDR at mile 8.

Race-week NYC Half checklist

• Recheck NYRR’s race page and the new course map for station miles, the gel depot, and any course change.
• Read your confirmation form when it arrives by email in early March: it has your wave, corral, and start time.
• Book your expo slot in your NYRR dashboard and bring photo ID and your QR code to pick up your bib in person.
• 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 layers, fluid, and sodium, 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. 1Race Registration Launch TimelineNew York Road RunnersAccessed October 17, 2026; 2027 United Airlines NYC Half on March 21, 2027, application window, drawing date
2. 22026 United Airlines NYC HalfNew York Road RunnersLast edition race page: course description, wave assignment, confirmation forms, expo pickup with photo ID
3. 32026 United Airlines NYC Half Course Map (PDF)New York Road RunnersUpdated February 20, 2026; water station, Gatorade, Maurten Gel Depot, and medical icon positions; elevation chart
4. 42026 United Airlines NYC Half Start Area Map (PDF)New York Road RunnersStart on Washington Avenue by the Brooklyn Museum, wave entrances and bag check on Eastern Parkway
5. 52026 United Airlines NYC Half Race Notes (PDF)New York Road RunnersOfficial start times by division and wave; field size
6. 6Set the Pace: Everything You Need to Know About the United Airlines NYC Half (transcript PDF)New York Road RunnersRace director: eight water stations, one Maurten gel zone, seven medical stations, bottle refills, 10:20 a.m. Brooklyn Bridge time, arrival advice, course and finish
7. 7United Airlines NYC Half Event Guide 2024 (PDF)New York Road RunnersLast published NYC Half event guide: bottle and hydration vest rules, 1 liter limit
8. 8NYRR Time Cutoff PolicyNew York Road RunnersStandard 20 minute per mile cutoff; the NYC Half is listed as an exception with its own course timeline
9. 9TCS New York City Marathon: The CourseNew York Road RunnersNYRR gel depot products and packaging colors; limited supply warning
10. 10Gel 100Maurten25 g carbohydrate per sachet; Gel 100 Caf 100 adds 100 mg caffeine
11. 11Gatorade Endurance Formula Lemon-LimeGatorade42 g carbohydrate and 600 mg sodium per 24 oz serving
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
17. 17March Weather in New York CityWeather SparkLate-March temperature, wet-day, and humidity averages