See your runner three times on race day with one Ask Maps plan
One request covers where to stand, how to get there and where to grab food while you wait.
Published . Steps as of November 2026.
How do I plan where to watch a runner during a marathon?
As of November 2026, you can give Ask Maps in Google Maps the race, your runner's start time and pace, and how you're traveling, then ask for three cheering spots. A plan like this fits best if you're getting around by train and on foot, since you'll want the route between spots. If you've got a stroller or little kids, say so and ask for fewer moves. Pass times are estimates, so check road closures on the race's official site.
A picture made with AI to show the idea.
Your prompt
Fill in your details. Skip any you like.
This AI can't be filled in from a link, so the button copies your prompt: paste it into the new chat.
The prompt that gets copied
I'm cheering on a runner at [RACE NAME, e.g. our city's fall marathon] on [RACE DATE, e.g. this Sunday]. They start at [START TIME, e.g. 9:30 am] and plan to run about [RUNNER'S PACE, e.g. 10 minutes a mile]. There are [HOW MANY PEOPLE, e.g. 3 of us, with a stroller] and we're getting around by [HOW WE TRAVEL, e.g. train and walking]. We're starting from [STARTING POINT, e.g. our hotel near the start]. Plan three spots along the course where we can see them, with the rough time they should pass each one. Tell me how to get between the spots without crossing the course, and leave extra time for crowds. Name a coffee or snack stop near each spot, a good place to eat near the finish, and an easy landmark to meet them at afterward. Flag anything you can't confirm, like road closures, so I can check it myself.
Tell Ask Maps in Google Maps the race, your runner's pace and how you're getting around. You get cheering spots along the course, how to reach them, and where to eat while you wait.
Step by step
- Open the Google Maps app and tap Ask Maps
- Paste the prompt below with your race and your runner's pace
- Ask a follow-up about a place to eat near the finish
- Check the race's official site for road closures, then share the plan in your group chat
What you'll get
A race-day plan with three cheering spots, rough pass times, the route between them, food stops and a meeting landmark.
Ask Maps is in the Google Maps app, in English in 150+ countries. Pass times are estimates based on the pace you give.
- Made for
- Everyone
- Works in
- Gemini
