The TCS New York City Marathon is the largest marathon in the world and one of the six Abbott World Marathon Majors. The 2026 edition takes place on Sunday 1 November, with more than 50,000 runners crossing all five boroughs of New York City on a course that finishes in Central Park.
What is the New York City Marathon?
The TCS New York City Marathon is an annual 42.195 kilometre road race run across the five boroughs of New York City. Organised by New York Road Runners (NYRR), it is the centrepiece of the North American running calendar and a highlight of the World Marathon Majors series, which also includes Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Sydney and Chicago.
New York is distinctive in distance running for its scale and its setting. The course covers every one of the city’s five boroughs, beginning on Staten Island, passing through Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx, and finishing in Manhattan. The 2025 edition produced a record 59,226 finishers, making it the largest marathon ever staged.
How the race works
The race includes an elite professional field competing for prize money, a mass participation field, a wheelchair division and a handcycle division. Most mass-field entries are awarded via a non-guaranteed drawing operated by NYRR, with additional entries available through charity partners, tour operators and the NYRR 9+1 guaranteed entry programme for New York residents.
When is the New York City Marathon?
The 2026 TCS New York City Marathon takes place on Sunday 1 November 2026. The race begins early in the morning with professional wheelchair athletes starting at around 8:00am Eastern Time, followed by handcycles, then elite women at 8:35am and elite men plus the first wave of the mass field at 9:05am. Subsequent waves start at staggered intervals into the late morning. The 2026 race comes during the 50th anniversary celebration of the five-borough course.
Where is the New York City Marathon?
The race starts at Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island and crosses the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge into Brooklyn. Runners travel through Bay Ridge, Sunset Park, Park Slope, Williamsburg and Greenpoint before crossing the Pulaski Bridge into Long Island City in Queens. From Queens, the course crosses the Queensboro Bridge into Manhattan, runs up First Avenue to the Willis Avenue Bridge and into the Bronx, then returns to Manhattan for the final stretch along Fifth Avenue and through Central Park to the finish near Tavern on the Green.
Key Contenders
New York traditionally attracts tactical, championship-style racing rather than world-record attempts. Recent men’s races have been won by Tamirat Tola, Abdi Nageeye and Evans Chebet, while the women’s field has featured Hellen Obiri, Sharon Lokedi and Sifan Hassan. Obiri, Kipruto, Hug and Scaroni were the 2025 champions and all remain leading names for 2026. The elite field for 2026 will be confirmed by NYRR in the months before the race.
Because of the hilly course and late-race climbs up Fifth Avenue and in Central Park, the New York City Marathon rewards tactical racing and strong closers rather than pure pace. The course records (men: Tamirat Tola, 2:04:58 in 2023; women: Margaret Okayo, 2:22:31 in 2003) reflect the challenging profile relative to flatter courses such as Berlin and Chicago.
How to Watch
In the United States, the TCS New York City Marathon is broadcast live nationally on ESPN2, with a local New York broadcast on ABC 7 New York (WABC-TV). Coverage runs for more than four hours on race morning. Streaming is available via ESPN+ and the ABC7NY app. Internationally, the race is distributed through the Abbott World Marathon Majors broadcast network, with live coverage in the UK available on Eurosport and Discovery+, and further distribution across Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America.
History and Records
The New York City Marathon was first held in 1970 as a small loop race inside Central Park with 127 starters and 55 finishers. In 1976 it was expanded to cover all five boroughs for the United States’ bicentennial year, and the modern course was born. Race founder Fred Lebow and his collaborators built it into the world’s largest marathon, and by the 2020s it regularly attracted more than 50,000 finishers.
NYRR received a record 240,000+ applications for the 2026 drawing, underlining the global demand for entries. The 2025 edition was the largest marathon in history with 59,226 finishers. The race has hosted legendary moments from Grete Waitz’s nine wins to Paula Radcliffe, Meb Keflezighi and most recently a new generation of East African champions.
Tickets and Attendance
Spectating the New York City Marathon is free and unticketed. The best viewing spots include First Avenue in Manhattan, the Pulaski Bridge in Long Island City, Fifth Avenue in Harlem and Central Park South. The finish area in Central Park requires a ticket for family and friends in the reserved grandstands. Entry to the race is via the NYRR drawing or guaranteed-entry programmes such as charity partnerships, time qualifiers and the 9+1 programme.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the 2026 New York City Marathon start?
The professional wheelchair race starts at around 8:00am Eastern Time, with elite women at 8:35am and elite men plus the first mass wave at 9:05am on Sunday 1 November 2026.
Where does the New York City Marathon start and finish?
The race starts on Staten Island at Fort Wadsworth, crosses through all five boroughs, and finishes near Tavern on the Green in Central Park, Manhattan.
How can I watch the New York City Marathon?
Live on ESPN2 and ABC 7 New York in the United States, and on Eurosport and Discovery+ in the UK and Europe, with further distribution via World Marathon Majors broadcast partners.
Who won the 2025 New York City Marathon?
Benson Kipruto won the men’s race and Hellen Obiri won the women’s race, with Marcel Hug and Susannah Scaroni taking the wheelchair titles.
How do I enter the New York City Marathon?
Entry is via a non-guaranteed drawing operated by NYRR, alongside charity entries, tour operator packages, time qualifiers and the 9+1 programme for New York residents.