One of distance racing's most important events is back in the Big Apple as the 2026 TCS (Tata Consultancy Services) New York City Marathon returns to celebrate a milestone anniversary.
The race on Sunday, Nov. 1 will mark the 50th anniversary of the five-borough course, first run on Oct. 24, 1976. That year, 2,090 participants (2,002 men, 88 women) started in Staten Island and 1,549 finished near Tavern on the Green in Central Park. The entry fee was only $5, and Bill Rodgers (2:10:09), in his first of four consecutive victories, and Miki Gorman (2:39:11) broke the tape to take the top podium finish.
A record 59,226 runners crossed the finish line in 2025, and more than 60,000 runners from 140 countries are expected to participate in this year's
race.
"The idea of running a marathon through all five boroughs of New York City seemed like a crazy idea. But there were a few people who thought that it was possible. We've been celebrating that all year long," Rob Simmelkjaer, New York Road Runners CEO, said. "The TCS New York City Marathon is not just an iconic sporting event. It is also something that drives immense impact here in New York City and beyond. With nearly $700 million in incremental spending in New York. This is one of the biggest drivers of economic impact in the city of New York.
Conditions should be ideal for race day, with temperatures expected to reach a high of 61 and little chance of precipitation.
When does the New York City Marathon start?
The 2026 TCS New York City Marathon starts at 8 a.m. ET on Sunday, Nov. 1.
What are the start times for the New York City Marathon?
- 8 a.m. Men's Professional Wheelchair Division
- 8:02 a.m. Women's Professional Wheelchair Division
- 8:22 a.m. Handcycles and Select Athletes with Disabilities
- 8:35 a.m. Professional Women's Open Division
- 9:05 a.m. Professional Men's Open Division
- 9:10 a.m. Wave 1
- 9:45 a.m. Wave 2
- 10:20 a.m. Wave 3
- 10:55 a.m. Wave 4
- 11:30 a.m. Wave 5
How long is the New York City Marathon expected to last?
Live-track any runner in the TCS New York City Marathon App. Runners who finish before 10 p.m. ET, regardless of their start time, will receive a finisher medal. Those who finish after that time will still receive a finisher medal, but they won't be recorded as official finishers or receive an official event result listing.
How to watch the New York City Marathon
The national broadcast will air on ESPN2 beginning at 8 a.m. ET, and you can stream it on ESPN Unlimited. Pre-race runs from 7-8 a.m. and from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Spanish-language broadcast will air live on ESPN Unlimited from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
For those who want to watch the race in person, most of the course is open from mile 3 to mile 26, and spectators can buy tickets for the Grandstand Seating, located at West 62nd Street and Broadway. You can also watch from the sidewalks.
In the New York tri-state area, WABC-TV, Channel 7, will start its pre-race coverage at 7 a.m., with the races starting at 8 a.m. You can livestream on the ABC 7 New York App and ABC7NY.com. ABC’s "Live from the TCS New York City Marathon" will air nationally from 3-5 p.m. to 5 p.m.
What's the New York City Marathon route?
The marathon route starts on Staten Island and winds through the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. After entering Brooklyn, the route goes through Queens and Manhattan. The route then enters the Bronx, returns to Manhattan at mile 22, and finishes in Central Park at 67th Street on West Drive.
New York City Marathon course changes
The New York City Marathon course is changing its route for the first time in 15 years, as a section in the Mott Haven neighborhood in the Bronx will reduce the number of turns as runners make their way through the 26.2-mile race.
After crossing the Willis Avenue Bridge, runners will turn left onto East 135th Street, then turn right onto Alexander Avenue and continue straight. Instead of turning left onto East 138th Street, runners will turn left onto East 141st Street, then turn left onto Third Avenue, then right onto East 138th Street to continue across the Madison Avenue Bridge.
What's new at New York City Marathon?
Five new categories for athletes with disabilities will debut at the 2026 NYC Marathon. The categories are Low Vision and Blind, Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Coordination Difficulties, Lower Limb Disability, and Upper Limb Disability.
Five Culligan water refill stations will be located at miles 8, 14, 17, 20, and 23, with each station holding 120 gallons of water per tank.
Who are the defending champions of the New York City Marathon?
All four of the defending champions from 2025 will return to defend their titles. Benson Kipruto won the men's professional event last year by the smallest margin ever, beating Alexander Mutiso Munyao by only 0.16 seconds.
Hellen Obiri won the women's event and broke the course record, finishing the race in 2:19:51. Marcel Hug won his seventh NYC Marathon wheelchair title, and Susannah Scaroni, who gave birth to a baby boy in August, is making a surprise return as she goes for her third consecutive NYC Marathon crown and fourth in five years.
Prize money for the New York City Marathon
Breaking a course record in the open division will get a participant a $50,000 bonus.
Open division prize money
- 1st - $100,000
- 2nd - $60,000
- 3rd - $40,000
- 4th - $25,000
- 5th - $15,000
- 6th - $10,000
- 7th - $7,500
- 8th - $5,000
- 9th - $2,500
- 10th - $2,000
Wheelchair Division
- 1st - $50,000
- 2nd - $25,000
- 3rd - $20,000
- 4th - $15,000
- 5th - $10,000
- 6th - $5,000
New York City Marathon course records
Open division
- Men — 2:04:58 (Tamirat Tola, 2023)
- Women — 2:19:51 (Hellen Obiri, 2025)
Wheelchair Division
- Men — 1:25:26 (Marcel Hug, 2022)
- Women — 1:39:32 (Catherine Debrunner, 2023)
New York City Marathon celebrity runners
Here are some of the celebrities that will be running in the 2026 NYC Marathon:
- Darby Allin – AEW professional wrestler
- Tiki Barber – Former New York Giants football player
- Errol Barnett – CBS News anchor and national correspondent
- Jennifer Connelly – Academy Award–winning actor
- T.J. Holmes – Journalist and media personality
- Samantha Judge – Wife of New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge
- Patina Miller – Tony Award-winning Broadway star and actor
- N.O.R.E. – Rapper, actor, and media personality
- Oz Pearlman – Mentalist
- Nēv Schulman – "Catfish: The TV Show" creator and host
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NYC Marathon celebrates 50 years of five-borough race: What to know for 2026
