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[ Wire ] · Dispatch · Oct 22

NYC Marathon Start Transportation: Ferries, Buses, and Rules

Getting to the start of the TCS New York City Marathon at Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island requires using official transportation or coordinating a drop-off before bridges and perimeter roads close. For the race on Sunday, November 1, 2026, New York Road Runners (NYRR) manages staging flow by assigning runners specific departure slots.

Here is how official ferries and buses operate, what to do if you missed selection deadlines, and the rules governing private vehicle drop-offs.

What official transportation options go to the start?

NYRR provides three official transportation options to Fort Wadsworth on race morning:

  • Staten Island Ferry: Departs from Whitehall Terminal in Lower Manhattan. The terminal is accessible via the 1 subway line at South Ferry, the R and W lines at Whitehall Street-South Ferry, and the M15, M20, and M55 bus routes. The ferry ride is free and docks at St. George Terminal, where free shuttle buses bring runners directly to Fort Wadsworth. Total travel time is estimated at 90 minutes. NYRR recommends this option for runners with expected finish times of four hours or more.
  • Midtown Manhattan Bus: Departs from the New York Public Library at Fifth Avenue and 40th Street. Buses travel directly to Fort Wadsworth with an estimated travel time of 90 minutes. Runners should arrive 15 minutes prior to their assigned departure time.
  • New Jersey Bus: Departs from MetLife Stadium Parking Lot K, near the Quest Diagnostics Training Center. Direct buses run to Fort Wadsworth with an estimated travel time of 60 minutes. Runners must arrive 15 minutes before their scheduled time.

How are departure times assigned and enforced?

For 2026, runners selected their preferred transportation mode (Ferry, NYPL Bus, or MetLife Stadium Bus), and NYRR assigned specific departure times based on each runner's registered or best pace.

NYRR enforces a strict Transportation Non-Compliance Policy. Participants must use only the transportation mode and time slot assigned to them. Showing up at a different boarding location or an unassigned departure time causes overcrowding and risks missing your wave start. NYRR rules state that violators risk warnings, disqualification, cancellation of entries, or suspension from future events.

What if you missed the selection deadline?

The deadline to select transportation in the NYRR dashboard closed on Tuesday, September 8, at 11:59 p.m. ET. If you did not choose a transportation option before that cutoff, you can be assigned an option at the race expo at the Javits Center. However, available modes will be extremely limited, and expo assignments cannot be changed.

How do private vehicle and rideshare drop-offs work?

There is no parking at the start area at Fort Wadsworth. Runners arriving by taxi, rideshare, personal car, or private chartered bus must use designated perimeter drop-off points:

  • Taxis and rideshare vehicles: The only drop-off point is outside Fort Wadsworth at the intersection of McClean Avenue and Ocean Avenue.
  • Private chartered buses: The drop-off location is near the intersection of Lily Pond Avenue and McClean Avenue.
  • Bridge closures: The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge closes to all vehicular traffic at 7:00 a.m. Private vehicles arriving from New Jersey via the Staten Island Expressway may use Exit 14 (Narrows Road North / Hylan Boulevard) before 7:00 a.m. After 7:00 a.m., all vehicles must exit at Clove Road.

From the drop-off points, runners face an approximate half-mile walk to the Start Village security gates.

Check full corral schedules and race-day updates on our New York City Marathon page.

Sources: NYRR: Transportation to the Start, NYRR: Rules of Competition

Sources New York Road Runners