The Lottery Is Open for the NYC Bakery Run. Here Is How to Score a Spot.

Running 13.1 miles is a serious physical commitment. Doing it while eating ten different pastries is an entirely different kind of endurance sport. The NYC Bakery Run returns on October 25, turning a half marathon into a curated carb-loading tour across Brooklyn and Manhattan. Last year, more than 17,000 people applied for just 100 spots, making the acceptance rate less than 0.6 percent. This year, the organizers at Tipster are upping the ante, swapping one of the standard pavement stops for a seated tasting course inside the dining room at Eleven Madison Park. If you want in, you need to enter the lottery right now.

The logistics are straightforward, even if the digestion is not. Runners are split into three pace groups of 7:30, 9:00, and 10:30 minutes per mile. It is completely free to participate. The route covers 13.1 miles and hits a highly curated list of the best bakeries in New York. You run, you stop for a cardamom bun or a twice-baked croissant, and you keep moving. The lottery is currently open on the official Tipster website.

Here is the catch: you cannot run alone. The 100 spots are raffled in pairs, so you need to find a partner who is equally willing to eat flour and butter while sweating heavily. The lottery closes on October 14, and winners will be announced on October 15.

Here is a look at the 10 official stops on the 2026 route.

Radio Bakery

Greenpoint · 135 India St · $$ WebsiteMapProfile

The line at chef Kelly Mencin's Greenpoint shop is a neighborhood fixture, with regulars waiting for the morning drop of heirloom tomato croissants and brown butter corn cakes. For this run, you skip the sidewalk wait entirely. Expect the kind of laminated dough that leaves a mess on your running shorts. The savory elements here are unmatched, especially the sausage and chive focaccia.

Go for: The brown butter corn cake. Know before you go: They sell out early on normal days, so early arrival is mandatory if you are not running the race.

La Cabra

East Village · 152 2nd Ave · $$ WebsiteMapProfile

This Danish import brought its meticulous coffee program and Nordic baking techniques to the East Village, and it remains one of the hardest tables to grab on a weekend morning. The cardamom bun is the draw, loaded with crunchy sugar and woven into a tight knot that pulls apart perfectly. It is sticky, fragrant, and exactly what you want at mile three.

Go for: A filter coffee and a cardamom bun. Know before you go: The Soho location offers the exact same coffee if the original room is too crowded.

Librae Bakery

East Village · 35 Cooper Sq · $$ WebsiteMapProfile

Dona Murad-Gerschel's Cooper Square operation mixes Middle Eastern flavors with Danish technique. The result is a menu that feels entirely distinct from the French stalwarts across the city. The pistachio rose croissant is a hit, hiding a savory pistachio paste under a delicate, flaky crust. The za'atar labneh morning bun is the savory answer to standard sugar glazes.

Go for: The za'atar labneh morning bun. Know before you go: The line moves efficiently, but you will still be waiting on the weekend.

From Lucie

East Village · 263 E 10th St · $$ WebsiteMap

Lucie Franc de Ferriere built a massive following by topping her delicate cakes with fresh, seasonal flowers. The aesthetic is romantic and slightly wild, recalling her childhood in the French countryside. Eating a slice of olive oil cake covered in blooms mid-run is a surreal experience, but the flavor is bright and light enough to not weigh you down.

Go for: The seasonal mini cakes. Know before you go: The storefront is tiny, so expect to eat your cake on the sidewalk.

L'Appartement 4F

Brooklyn Heights · 115 Montague St · $$ WebsiteMap

What started as a pandemic apartment operation from Gautier and Ashley Coiffard is now a permanent anchor of the Brooklyn Heights pastry scene. Their croissants are rolled by hand, yielding a tight, flaky structure that shatters on contact. The cinnamon rolls and tahini chocolate chip cookies are deeply satisfying, heavy, and rich.

Go for: The classic pain au chocolat. Know before you go: They turn into a natural wine bar called L'Apéro at night.

Hani's Bakery

East Village · 67 Cooper Sq · $$ WebsiteMap

Former Gramercy Tavern pastry chef Miro Uskokovic and his wife Shilpa opened this spot to immediate acclaim. The menu pulls from their respective Serbian and Indian backgrounds. The triple chocolate chunk cookie is intensely chewy, and the savory turkey and swiss croissant is covered in sesame seeds for an unexpected crunch. The layered cakes are technically flawless.

Go for: The PB&J Crunch cake. Know before you go: The savory paneer tikka pinwheel is the best quick lunch in the neighborhood.

Elbow Bread

Lower East Side · 1 Ludlow St · $$ WebsiteMapProfile

Zoë Kanan is running the ovens at this Lower East Side corner bakery, bringing a modern edge to old-school Eastern European and Jewish baking traditions. The bialys, knishes, and challah braids are excellent, but the standout might be the honey bun. It is a dense, sticky affair that pairs perfectly with a black coffee and a lot of napkins.

Go for: The honey challah braid. Know before you go: They share DNA with Court Street Grocers, so the savory sandwiches are worth your time.

Saison Bakery

Bed-Stuy · 434 Hancock St · $$ WebsiteMap

Sammy Rees turned her pandemic baking project into a permanent brick-and-mortar reality in Bed-Stuy this past summer. The space feels warm and lived-in, serving seasonal fruit and flower-filled layer cakes alongside classic scones and muffins. It is a true neighborhood joint that feels completely devoid of social media pretense.

Go for: The strawberry olive oil cake. Know before you go: They operate on a limited schedule (usually Thursday through Sunday), so check their hours.

Altbau Bakery

Williamsburg · 184 N 8th St · $$ WebsiteMap

This is the most anticipated stop on the route. Chad Robertson, the founder of San Francisco's Tartine, is finally opening his massive Williamsburg project this fall. The space will eventually include a bakery, an upstairs mill, and a teaching studio. The Bakery Run offers an early look at what Robertson and his team are pulling from the ovens.

Go for: Sourdough breads and laminated pastries. Know before you go: The bakery is brand new for fall 2026, so expect heavy crowds in its opening months.

Eleven Madison Park

Flatiron · 11 Madison Ave · $$$$ WebsiteMap

Chef Daniel Humm and his team are opening their doors to people in running gear. The typical tasting menu requires months of planning and deep pockets. For the NYC Bakery Run, the 100 participants will physically run into the art deco dining room, take a seat overlooking Madison Square Park, and eat a plant-based pastry course created just for them by Chef de Cuisine Dominique Roy before regular lunch service begins.

Go for: The most surreal mid-race refuel of your life. Know before you go: This stop is exclusive to the lottery winners.

The Shout NY take

The bakery run proves that New Yorkers will endure anything for an exclusive pastry. Enter the lottery now. If you do not win, you can still map out the route and walk it yourself. You will just have to wait in line like everyone else.