For runners of the New York City Marathon, support from the crowds gathered along the course is a highlight, from the first cheers coming off the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge to the last as the race concludes along Central Park South.

Not sure where to stand? Here’s our guide to picking the right cheering location for you, whether you are following one runner’s progress or looking for a good spot to park yourself for the day with a cowbell and a sign.

If you’ve never cheered for the marathon before …

A few tips:

• Cowbells or other noisemakers can save your voice if you plan to be out there all day. Look for names written on runners’ shirts. Runners will appreciate hearing cheers aimed at them, especially in the later stages when the crowds start thinning out.

• The funnier your sign, the better.

• The last wave of runners won’t start the race until almost noon, and many will finish at dusk or after dark. The crowds will have dissipated by then, but if you stick around, the runners will appreciate it.

If you’re trying to follow a specific runner around the course …

Start by finding out your runner’s bib number so you can track their progress in the app. And make sure to find out what they’re wearing so you can more easily spot them in the crowds.

For your first cheering spot, you can take the N train to the 59th Street stop in Brooklyn, which will get you to Mile 4 on Fourth Avenue to catch your runner early on.

After they pass, hop back on the N to Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center, which will let you off near the other end of Fourth Avenue, right before Mile 8.

From here, if you want to see your runner as many times as possible, you can catch a Manhattan-bound Q train to 96th Street. Once you get off, you can walk to First Avenue to cheer at Mile 18. After, you can head back to Fifth Avenue and find a spot around Mile 23, between East 110th and East 90th streets. You’ll see the runners right before they enter Central Park.