The City That Never Sleeps will be even more awake than usual on Halloween weekend this year. We love the energy of the NYC Marathon, but for runners and spectators alike, it is not the simplest event to navigate with crowds and street closures. On top of that, the course has been altered this year for the first time in 15 years: “The New York City Marathon Route Is Changing. Here’s What’s Different.” Luckily, Believe in the Run shares their inside scoop in this new piece: “Our Insider Guide to Running The New York City Marathon (2026).” They cover everything from the app and expo to race-morning transit, fueling, pacing, spectator plans, and the long post-finish walk out of Central Park. Once the practical stuff is handled, you can dial in your “real” race day goals by referencing this story from Outside: “6 Marathon Race Day Goals That Have Nothing to Do With Time.” The author argues that a PR or BQ should take a back seat to goals that can actually enrich your experience. Focus on things you control more directly, like starting conservatively, sticking to your fueling plan, encouraging other runners, getting a race photo you actually like, or staying present enough to remember the experience. Des Linden knows something about that approach – in the article, she notes that heading into the 2018 Boston Marathon, she loosened her expectations and focused on having a good experience – then became the first American woman to win in 33 years. You can still keep the watch, just give yourself more than one way to have a successful day. We’ve been thinking along similar lines in “Should you train by power, not pace, when running uphill?” Power lets pace change with the terrain as you target a steadier effort, and RPE can fill the gap when steep trails make watt estimates less reliable. Whether you’re racing five boroughs or grinding up one hill, effort and experience can tell you plenty that the clock can’t.

#NoTimeLikeThePresent