Run up the hill at a consistent effort rather than a pace. Shorten your stride, use your arms, and feel free to let other runners pass you (you’ll be passing them later in the race). When you reach the top, lean into it, open your stride, and let gravity pull you down. Don’t go crazy on the downhills; keep it in the effort zone of the moment.

Among them are 90 volunteer pacers for New York Road Runners (NYRR), the nonprofit that organizes the race. Tasked with guiding and encouraging runners through the five borough 26.2-mile course according to the finish time posted on their handheld signs,