Inside the New York City Marathon Expo

Long have I wanted to experience America’s largest running expo. As a lifelong New Yorker but more recent runner I’ve been… curious. What makes the TCS New York City Marathon Expo Presented by New Balance one of the “top 10 health and fitness expos in the world??” Let’s find out!

New York City Marathon Expo

Located on the west side of New York City in the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, this expo is a three-day event. Attracting all 52,000 marathoners, their family members, and other Tri-State runners in search of the best products (ME), this exhibition expects an attendance of over 100,000. So, does it live up to the hype??

Bib Pickup

Seamless. As in zero lines on Friday afternoon. certainly my runDisney friends should be jealous, for sure. Same goes for the race shirt pickup. Zip.

Official Race Merchandise

New Balance is the sponsor for this contest, and as such, its official race merchandise is not only available at the New York City Marathon Expo and NYRR Run Center, but can also be purchased online (before and after the race) HERE.

Perhaps that is why there was oodles of merch available on Day 2. No fighting, no runner harassment… This included the four styles of the official New York City Marathon New Balance running shoes.

Runner Wellness and Accessories

I would say the typical brands were represented at the Expo; BioFreeze, Gatorade Endurance, OOFOS, SPIBelt, Nuun, and KT Tape were all… in the house. Interestingly, the Official Partner with the largest line? (And this was NOT for freebies, either.) My personal favorite, Honey Stinger. I loaded up with waffles and chews for my upcoming races. YUM.

New York City Marathon Course Education

And lots of it was to be had. Yes, this marathon is world renown for its comprehensive views of New York City off the Verrazano Bridge and the emotional finish in Central Park. However, it is also infamous for its hills and difficulty level. Understanding this, the NYC Marathon Expo has multiple experiences to educate and prepare all runners. From runner seminars, mile-by-mile dissections, and full descriptions of what to expect in all five boroughs, the 26.2 miles course comes to life.

Above all, I  thought the clear (and expansive) marathon course elevation graphic would be quite helpful if I were running.

While you are at it, add in additional runner supports- the NYRR Race Pace Predictor and BioFreeze Pace Teams- known as the “NYRR Running Lab,” and you have your runner village. Just don’t underestimate those New Yawk City cheer zones for inspiration!

In my mind, the New York City Marathon Expo was a wonderfully organized, well-stocked, international pep rally. The excitement was pulsing through this, the largest running exhibition in the US. For anyone attending, they will be watching the 49th New York City Marathon, but thinking about 50…