NYC Marathon 2016 Guide: Start Times, Course Route, Where to Watch

NEW YORK, NY — It's that time of the year again when you marvel over your little-too-perfect coworker's ability to run 26.2 miles while you struggle to walk two blocks to the gym.

The New York City Marathon is on Sunday, Nov. 6 and we've got all the details on what you'll need to know for the annual race.

FOR THE SPECTATORS

The starting gun fires at 8:30 a.m. for the professional wheelchair competitors, with successive groups taking off in waves after them. But remember, with the race starting on Staten Island and crossing the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, the only viewing available at the beginning is literally at the starting line. You're better off heading to Mile 3 in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn for the first chance to see the runners.

Start times:

Professional wheelchair — 8:30 a.m.
Handcycle — 8:52 a.m.
Foot Locker Five-Borough Challenge — 8:55 a.m.
Professional women — 9:20 a.m.
Wave 1 (including professional men) — 9:50 a.m.
Wave 2 — 10:15 a.m.
Wave 3 — 10:40 a.m.
Wave 4 — 11 a.m.

Where to watch:

So once you know when your friend is taking off from the starting line, you'll need to know the best place to root them on. (It also depends on whether you want to see your friend/family member cheery and excited about the run ahead or on-the-verge of complete physical and mental breakdown.)

For those aiming to watch the race early, the best spot is on Fourth Avenue in Brooklyn. The race makes its way up the six-lane road from Miles 5 to 8. You can also quickly jump on the subway (N/D/R) and make your way to a second location later in the race. Though, be sure to note which side of the road you'll be standing on, because at this point the street is still packed with thousands of runners.

If you're looking to catch a real city experience, head to First Avenue in Manhattan, where runners will tackle Miles 16 to 18. The course heads north through the Upper East Side and East Harlem. It'll be packed with spectators, but the racers will have thinned out some by this point.

And if you're looking to catch the end, or close to it — since grandstand seats in Central Park at 67th Street are pricey ($75) — camp out on Fifth Avenue from 110th Street to the Guggenheim for Miles 23 to 24 before they enter the park for the finish.

Tracking your runner:

The nice thing about following the race in the smartphone era is that the organizers now provide a free app you can download which provides real-time updates on all the runners taking part. In fact, you can track up to 20 runners at once if you know a lot of people taking part.

Who to watch:

It's easy for us New Yorkers to get caught up in our friends, family or co-workers running the race, but this is one of the big three marathons of the year (not counting the Olympics, which happened this year). The men's and women's winners each take home $100,000 (plus time bonuses of up to $50,000).

On the men's side, the favorites are Kenyan Stanley Biwott, the defending champion, and Ethiopian Lelisa Desisa, who finished second in 2014 and third last year. He's hoping the third time running is the charm. Dathan Ritzenhein, from Michigan, is the fastest American man in the field.

Two-time defending women's champion Mary Keitany is also back to defend her titles and looks to become the first to win three straight NYC marathons since the legendary Grete Waitz. While Keitany is the odd's-on favorite, there are a few American women making their marathon debuts, including Molly Huddle (who broke the American record in the 10,000-meter in this year's Olympics) and Gwen Jorgensen, who won gold in Rio in the women's triathlon. Jorgensen, for all her elite accomplishments, is not expected to figure in the top finishers.

FOR THE PARTICIPANTS

The majority of us will be cheering on our more athletically gifted friends, but thousands of people will also be waking up to run the race. For those people, you better not pull a "Seinfeld" and miss your early wakeup call.

Most of the information you need is literally on your bib. Transportation methods were to be signed up for by July 31, so you should know if you're traveling by the Staten Island Ferry, Midtown bus or New Jersey bus. The organizers advise arriving at least 15 minutes before your departure time. If you didn't sign up, you're gonna have to get to the start village yourself by car. In that case, you better leave early, because the Verrazano Bridge and the Staten Island Expressway both close to traffic at 6:45 a.m.

You should've received either a Start Village bag or a Bag Check bag, depending on which option you chose. Those are the only two bags allowed in the start village or on transportation to the village. The Start Village bag won't be transported to the finish, the Bag Check bag will.

For hydrating, the only items allowed at the start village are waist belts with water bottles, handheld water bottles and disposable clear bottles. (No Camelbaks or hydration backpacks of any kind.) You can also bring a jacket, small unrolled blanket or plastic tarp.

After that — run.

Photo Credit: Martineric via Wikimedia Commons