Everything you need to catch Gab Garcia across all five boroughs — where to stand, when she'll fly by, and where the party is after. Ka-Chow. 🏁
Yell “GO GAB!” “GO GABATRON!” “GO GABBIE!” — she'll hear her name way better than a generic “woo.” And don't forget the “KA-CHOW!” for full Lightning McQueen effect.
Rev the engine! When you spot her, rev it up — loud voices, arms pumping, full race-car roar. And signs are great: big, bold, funny, creative — the more fun the sign, the better. Hold it high so she can spot you right back.
Be in place at least 10 minutes before the earliest predicted time she could pass your stop, then start scanning — she'll be looking for you, too.
Times update with the pace buttons — pick a finish goal
There are 5 stops listed below — but you DO NOT need all five. Picking 3 is the easiest option, and it still catches Gab early, mid-race, and in the final miles. Doing all five is an ambitious (but doable) subway day.
At every stop, stand on the runner's left — Gab is Wave 2 Orange, starts the race on the left, and will likely stay there.
Want the easy day planned for you? A recommended crowd-favorite route — Stops 1, 3 and 4 — can be found below in section 02.
Atlantic Ave at Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn
The first big rendezvous. The course streams past Barclays Center right around Mile 8 — peak Brooklyn energy, crowds ten deep, and Gab is warmed up, settled in, and ready for a big early-race cheer. Bonus: you're standing on top of the biggest subway hub in Brooklyn.
Bedford Ave, Williamsburg, Brooklyn — a stretch, not a single spot
The party stretch. Bedford Ave through Williamsburg is loud — DJs, speakers, dancing crowds, block after block of noise as runners roll through Miles 11 to 12. Pick any spot along Bedford and you'll get the full show; Gab feeds off this energy on her way to the halfway mark. This one's a standalone stop for Brooklyn friends — no subway hopping required.
First Ave after the Queensboro Bridge — anchor at E. 72nd St
The famous First Ave wall of sound. After the quiet of the Queensboro Bridge, runners spill onto a roaring, bar-lined avenue — and the whole stretch from the bridge at Mile 16 up to Mile 19 works, so pick your spot anywhere along it. This is the loudest, most electric stop on the course, and Gab will need every decibel.
Fifth Ave at E. 90th St, Central Park entrance
The last big climb is done and the finish is suddenly real. Runners enter Central Park here for the final stretch — this is the cheer that carries Gab through the hardest miles. Bring everything you've got left.
Central Park South at Columbus Circle
The final glimpse before the finish line — spectators can't get into the finish area itself, so this is the last place to see Gab before she becomes a marathoner. Then it's straight to Legends to celebrate her arrival.
Stops 1, 3 and 4 — the easy 3-stop day, on one line
Brooklyn — the early-race cheer, on top of a huge subway hub.
The wall of sound after the Queensboro Bridge.
The final-miles cheer at Engineers' Gate.
NYRR's official 2026 course map, with the five cheer stops marked by a star. Tap a star to jump to that stop's card — the numbers match the stop order.
Full-size original: NYRR course map (PDF)
Two ways to follow her dot — the bib tracker, plus Find My as backup
Download the NYRR App — the official TCS New York City Marathon tracking app — before race morning, then search Gabriella Garcia (that's the name she's registered under) or bib 24053, and turn on notifications. You'll get splits every 5K and a live dot on the course map.
Get the NYRR AppText Gab where you'll be! Message her before she starts running — or anytime during the race — and tell her your stop and where along the block you'll be standing. She'll keep a lookout for you as she runs past.
Helpful Tip: Screenshot her last split before you leave each stop — cell service gets spotty in the biggest crowds.
The NYRR app can lag in the biggest crowds. Apple's Find My follows Gab's actual phone in real time, so you can watch her dot move along the course. Set it up before race morning — nobody wants to be tapping through settings at a cheer stop.
One catch: Find My tracks her phone, not her timing chip — if the dot pauses at a water station, that's real. The NYRR splits are still the official word on her pace. And if her phone battery goes, the dot stops — another reason the bib tracker above is the primary.
26.2 miles of thousands of runners — here's the one you're looking for
Top: Cropped Lightning McQueen T-shirt with “GABATRON” across the chest, bright blue Bandit sports bra
Bottoms: Black Bandit shorts
White sneakers
Red arm sleeves
Sunglasses: Red lenses
Star hair clips
Gab's Bib 24053 will be pinned to her front
Tips to survive race day — for you, and for Gab
Some of Gab's faves in case she needs a top-up
Trolli sour gummy worms
Coca Cola (NOT DIET, NOT ZERO)
Extra gels & electrolytes
Biofreeze for the pain
Tissues
PicklesEveryone converges on Legends — here's how to get there
Legends — 6 W 33rd St, New York
Doors from 12:30 PM — head over whenever your cheering is done, grab a spot, and be ready: Gab finishes between 1:45 and 2:15 PM and will make her entrance, medal and all, once she's through the finish area.
Spectators can't enter the finish zone, so Legends is the reunion. First round of hugs happens there.
And join Gab for that long-awaited extra cold, extra dirty, filthy gin martini (think East River dirty) — and a Coke, obviously.
RSVP on SweatpalsFrom Mile 24 (Fifth Ave): walk to 86th St and take the 456 or Q downtown to 42nd St, then one stop or a short walk south to 34th St–Herald Sq — Legends is right there at 6 W 33rd St.
From Mile 25.5 (Columbus Circle): the 1 AC BD from 59th St–Columbus Circle runs straight down to 34th St in about 10 minutes — then a 5-minute walk east to 6 W 33rd St.
Don't wait at the park — head straight to Legends and grab a spot.
Gab is running with Team for Kids, NYRR's charity team raising money for free youth running programs across NYC. Every dollar on her page helps get kids to their own start lines.
Can't make it to the course? A donation is the next best cheer.
Thank you!
Thank you for the signs, the subway sprints, the sore throats, and the sweaty, speedy hugs — I'm so lucky to have a crew like you. 🏁❤️