NYRR Pace Team
Presented by Biofreeze

NYRR is proud to provide pacers for each of its half and full marathons through our NYRR Pace Team Presented by Biofreeze. This program is an added benefit for runners, free of cost, to help them reach their time goals. Our Pace Team members are veterans who know the course and New York City. They have the experience to help you finish your race at your goal pace, whether you’re running your first race or trying to set a new personal record.

How will I find the pacers on race day?

The pacers will be in or near their corrals roughly 15 to 20 minutes before the start of the race. This will give you a chance to talk to them, learn more about the plan, and ask any questions you might have. They'll be wearing singlets with the NYRR Pace Team Presented by Biofreeze logo and the green and blue chevron design. Please see below for an example. They'll also be carrying signs that show the pace that their group plans to run. Who are Biofreeze?

Biofreeze is the #1 clinically recommended topical pain reliever and the Official External Pain Reliever of NYRR. Biofreeze uses cryotherapy (“cold therapy”) to help delay the onset of muscle soreness as well as provide temporary relief from aches/pains. Biofreeze is fast-acting, long-lasting, and nearly twice as effective as ice.

What is Biofreeze?

Many runners fall into the trap of not dedicating enough time to recuperation or addressing signs of pain head on. Runners often get so focused on pushing through to race day that they don’t take the needed preventative measures. One “secret weapon” that runners have been turning to for years is Biofreeze, the #1 clinically recommended topical pain reliever. Learn more at www.biofreeze.com.

Biofreeze uses cryotherapy (“cold therapy”) to help delay the onset of muscle soreness as well as provide temporary relief from aches/pains. Biofreeze is fast-acting, long-lasting, and nearly twice as effective as ice.

Biofreeze is especially effective for runners as it can be used before, during, and after workouts. It’s a great option for runners who want to be able to easily tackle their pain and soreness on their own.

Below, we answer some frequently asked questions about the program, and you can download this form with more information about the requirements for joining the NYRR Pace Team Presented by Biofreeze.

The NYRR Pace Team Presented by Biofreeze is set up to help runners reach their time goals in the race. The pacers have been selected from a pool of applicants and proved themselves to be excellent at this job. These runners have volunteered to run with you, cheer you on, and inspire you to get to your goal.

The pace groups are assigned different finish times, to meet the goals of different runners. To determine your own goal time, use your past races, recent long train runs, and current fitness. A good rule of thumb for beginners is to start at the pace of the longest run that you did during your race build-up. You can then accelerate during the later stages of the race if you find this pace is too easy.

This is the best part of the NYRR Pace Team Presented by Biofreeze: It's FREE for anyone, and you don’t have to sign up!

The pacers will be in or near their corrals roughly 15 to 20 minutes before the start of the race. This will give you a chance to talk to them, learn more about the plan, and ask any questions that you might have. They'll be wearing singlets with a green, white, and blue design, and they'll be carrying signs that show the pace that their group plans to run.

The times offered for each race will range from 1:30:00 to 2:30:00 in half-marathons and 3:00:00 to 6:00:00 for the marathon. Times are subject to change and vary from race to race, so check the specific race's page to meet the pacers and learn what times are being offered.

The pacers will be starting out conservatively, because most inexperienced runners start at much too fast a pace. Over the course of the race, the pacers will run at a consistent effort, rather than a precisely even pace, to allow for variations in the course, such as hills. They will be running very close to an even pace, on average, for the entire race.

The pacers are different and will employ different methods, but they'll all be planning to run, not walk, the whole race. They will take into account the congestion at water stations, both in their planning and when going through the stations on race day.

The NYRR Pace Team Presented by Biofreeze is comprised of experienced runners in the NYC area who offer their time to help other runners achieve their race goals. We look for runners who meet the following requirements:

Have finished a minimum of five marathons
Have finished a marathon within the last two years in a time at least 30 minutes faster than the time for which they will pace a group
Have proven their fitness by running a road race of 10K or longer within the last three months
Have pacing experience at other long-distance events
Have an active NYRR membership

Read The Pace Team Requirements

To join the team, you’ll need to email us a brief description of yourself and the information below:

First and last name
Local club/team name (if applicable)
City/State
The email address associated with your NYRR account
NYRR Membership number

Please also answer the following questions:

How many marathons have you completed?
How many times have you completed the TCS New York City Marathon?
How many half-marathons have you completed?
What is your marathon personal record?
What is your half-marathon personal record?
What group would you like to pace for the marathon? (example: between 4:00 and 5:15)
What group would you like to pace for the half-marathon? (example: between 1:45 and 2:00)
Have you ever paced in a race before?
Have you ever paced the TCS New York City Marathon before?

Please provide a link to your Athlinks.com profile in your application, as well.