Runners carb-load ahead of NYC marathon

Or marathoners put in the miles. They of course put away the carbs. Yes, my favorite part all weekend. Runners are packing into pasta restaurants across the city, and as Fox 5's Nikki Houser shows us, they are ready for the carbo loading. I'm on the Upper West Side where several restaurants are preparing for one of the biggest weekends of the year with marathon runners as a very big part of their clientele. Before the 26.2 mile race, marathon runners are getting into prep mode with pizza and pasta. Between the garlic, the olive oil, the pasta and the marinara sauce, tons. Dump trucks full. Thousands of restaurants across the city are gearing up for a spike in customers as athletes look to load up on carbs. The Penne alla Vodka, at the same time, that's always one of our number one sellers. Larry Baldwin, the corporate chef at Italian restaurant Carmine, says this is one of their busiest seasons all year. This time of year for us is like our Super Bowl. We're getting all the racers ready for their big race, their big game. And, you know, we've got to be prepared for all those hungry runners coming through our doors. He adds runners often order family-style meals all for themselves. They feed three to four people on average. But this weekend, a lot of the runners coming through the doors are like, I'll take one of those. He estimates they'll serve around 2,000 pounds of pasta this marathon weekend, with big hits like the penne vodka and chicken parm always the most popular dishes. We'll be looking to do over 5,000 guests. Guests this weekend. Countless restaurants across the city, all in for a high-volume weekend. Carmines also says that along with several other pizza and pasta joints in the city, they will be increasing their staff to prepare for the influx of customers. On the Upper West Side, I'm Nikki Houser, Fox 5 News.