Rules of Competition

Updated February 27, 2024

New York Road Runners ("NYRR") events are organized and directed under, and entrants must comply with, the rules and regulations of the following governing bodies:

• World Athletics for the TCS New York City Marathon, the United Airlines NYC Half, the Mastercard New York Mini 10K, and the New Balance 5th Avenue Mile;
• USA Track & Field (“USATF”) for all other NYRR races for adults and;
• World Para Athletics.

Entrants must also comply with applicable city, state, and federal laws (including City of New York Parks & Recreation and NYRR rules and regulations). All participants must comply with NYRR's Code of  Conduct and Run Clean Policy.

Safety

Event Officials: All participants must follow the instructions of event officials, which includes NYRR staff and/or volunteers. This includes but is not limited to instructions related to the need to wear masks, maintain social distances and/or any other requirements set by NYRR, the CDC, or other government authorities. Participants must retire at once from the race if ordered to do so by event officials, medical staff, or any governmental authority, including firefighters and police officers.

Sportsmanship: Any participant who conducts themselves in an unsportsmanlike manner or who exhibits offensive behavior or language to event officials, NYRR staff, and/or volunteers may be disqualified. Unsportsmanlike conduct includes, without limitation, the provision of false or misleading information on an event application, or any other conduct that in the opinion of NYRR is unethical, unfair, abusive, offensive, harassing, disrespectful, harmful, or illegal.

Participant Entry and Race Number (Bib)

Event Application: All participants must provide accurate information, including age, gender, and emergency contact information, when completing the event application. A participant may not change or add a team affiliation after an event has started. Rules governing club teams can be found at NYRR’s website.

Race Number/Bib: Your official participant bib, which displays your race number, must be fully visible at all times and worn on the front of your torso on your outermost garment. The timing device (B-Tag) is attached to the back of your bib. To ensure an accurate time, do not fold or wrinkle the bib or cover it with a jacket, runner belt, water bottle, or any other item. Participants who run the race without their bib properly attached and displayed may not have their finish time and split times recorded, may not be listed in the results, and/or may not receive credit for finishing the race. If your bib is lost on the course, please report it to an event official immediately after the race. Race credit may be provided after verification that your time was recorded at the start and that you completed the race.

No Transfer Permitted: Race numbers and official participant bibs are assigned by NYRR to each specific participant and may not be transferred, reproduced, replicated, or modified under any circumstance. You may not: 1) give or sell your number or tag to another person; 2) receive or purchase a number or tag from another person; 3) modify, make copies or other reproductions/replications of your number or bib for any purpose (or allow another to do so); and/or 4) participate with an unofficial race number or bib (i.e., a number or bib that was not assigned to you by NYRR). Attempting to do any of the foregoing is also prohibited and any person found violating these rules will be subject to penalties, including but not limited to disqualification and suspension from subsequent NYRR events.

No Refunds: Entry fees are non-refundable and may not be deferred or transferred.

The Start

Start Corrals: Participants are responsible for arriving at the start corrals assigned to them, based on their best pace, and entering at the designated corral entry points before the corral closing times. Runners may move back to a slower corral but may not move forward to a faster corral. Any participant who climbs over a barricade or otherwise enters improperly may be disqualified. For participant safety, once a corral is closed for entry, late-arriving participants must report to the last corral. NYRR reserves the right to restrict individuals from starting late for safety reasons. Please follow the instructions of event officials when entering corrals. Anyone who is seen urinating or defecating in a corral may be disqualified and/or suspended from NYRR events.

Race Start: The race will be started by an air horn unless otherwise noted. All participants must be behind the starting line at the start of the race and must follow the instructions of the race starter. If a race features a staggered start, corrals will be released at regular intervals, with corral A starting at the first start horn, followed by an additional start horn for each subsequent start.

Timing

Official Times: Your official (net) finish time is recorded by the timing system from when you cross the starting line to when you cross the finish line. This time determines the order of finish and age-group award winners—except the top finisher awards, which are determined by gun time (the time from the starting horn until the runner crosses the finish line). Start timing mats will be removed after the last corral starts the race, unless the size of the field warrants keeping the start open longer. After the start has closed, net times will not be recorded and times will be calculated from the time of the start horn. If a runner starts after the timing mats have been removed, no start time will be added.

For Time Trial events, all runners will receive net times as your official time (recorded by the timing system from when you cross the starting line to when you cross the finish line). Net times will determine the order of finish for all runners, including top finishers, and rankings will continue to be updated and will not be finalized until all finishers have completed the course. There will be no overall or age group awards at Time Trial events.

The Course

Course Marking: NYRR events (except for kids’ races) are conducted on USATF-certified courses. Participants must stay within course boundaries at all times. The course is typically marked by barriers, traffic cones, delineation, and/or other markings. Participants must recognize and understand event signage and symbols relating to the course, directions, and facilities, and must follow the instructions of course marshals and event officials. Failure to do so may result in disqualification.

Course Completion: If you have not completed the entire course, you will be disqualified. Participants with missing or irregular split times at official timing checkpoints will be reviewed and may be disqualified. If you must leave the course, rejoin it only at the point at which you exited. No participant, after leaving the course, will be allowed to rejoin the race either for the purpose of gaining a place or to pace or assist another competitor.

Assistance: Unofficial pacers or other unregistered participants are not permitted on the course, nor are they permitted to provide assistance. A participant who receives assistance during an event from anyone other than official medical personnel may be disqualified.

Time Limit: In the interest of safety, and to allow streets and park drives to reopen as scheduled, race courses will remain open to all participants, per the posted course closing time on the individual race page. Participants who are not able to complete the course prior to closing time should be aware that fluid stations and other race amenities may not be available. Participants in races staged on New York City streets may be asked to move to the sidewalks or board the sweep bus, per instructions of event officials. Participants on the sweep bus may not cross the finish line.

The Finish

Late participants are not guaranteed to be timed and recorded as official finishers; however, they can contact our race scoring team to request credit for the race.

Prohibited Items

For a full list of prohibited items for all NYRR events and race venues, click here.

Violation of Rules of Competition

All violations of the Rules of Competition will be referred to the NYRR Rules Committee, who will review the infraction and determine a resolution taking into consideration all relevant facts and circumstances

The participant will receive written notice of the determination from the NYRR Rules Committee. Any information demonstrating why the NYRR Rules Committee should make a different determination must be submitted within seven days of the date of the initial written notice.

Penalties

The following penalties are intended to serve as guidelines only. The Rules Committee reserves the right to consider all facts and circumstances, including repeat offenses, and apply any penalties it deems as appropriate in its sole discretion.

Failure to cross all official timing checkpoints/course cutting: May result in disqualification from official results, suspension from subsequent NYRR events for up to one year, or suspension from the following year’s event.

Transfer of race number: Any person found to have reproduced, replicated, modified, transferred, bought or sold a race number or bib (or attempted any of the foregoing actions) for an NYRR event, permits any other individual to wear the race number or bib assigned to them, or wears a race number or bib not assigned to them by NYRR, will be disqualified and suspended from subsequent NYRR events for up to one year or suspended from the following year’s event.

Unauthorized Assistance: Any registered participant who receives unauthorized assistance may be disqualified. This includes any registered participant who permits an unregistered runner to run with them for any part of the event.

Unsportsmanlike Conduct: Any person who conducts themselves in an unsportsmanlike manner before, during or after a NYRR event, including at the NYRR RUNCENTER, may be disqualified or prohibited from participating in future NYRR events.

Instructions of Event Official: Any registered participant who refuses to follow the instructions of an event official may be disqualified.

Public Urination/Defecation: Any registered participant who urinates and/or defecates in public will be disqualified.

Other Violations: In addition to the violations highlighted above, the Rules Committee may assess penalties for any other violations not specified in these Rules of Competition based on all relevant facts and circumstances.

Individuals disqualified from a race will be removed from the race results and may be barred from future NYRR events. NYRR reserves the right to reject any entry and to disqualify and bar any individual from any NYRR event. This rejection/disqualification may be based on, but is not limited to, the violation of the aforementioned rules.

Additional Rules for Athletes with Disabilities (“AWD”) Participants

Additional Safety Rules for Handcycle Participants:

Any participant using a handcycle must wear a helmet at all times while in the handcycle.

Any participant using a handcycle must have an orange visibility flag on a 5'–6' flexible pole/stick attached to the handcycle by a bracket at all times while on the event course.

Any participant using a handcycle must stay at least 25 meters behind the pacing vehicle at all times.

Handcycles with motors or pedals are not permitted. No additional gear-, crank-, or chain-powered cycling equipment may be used by participants, including foot-powered recumbent bikes, tricycles, or bicycles.

Additional Information for Pushrim Wheelchair Participants:

Any participant using a pushrim wheelchair must wear a helmet at all times while in the racing wheelchair.