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.
Before this year, runners had to navigate seven turns to run a mile through the Bronx; that number has been reduced to five.
The change between miles 20 and 21 will now allow people to access a Western Beef supermarket and the Clean Rite Center laundromat, which is open 24 hours a day and located on East 140th Street.
The race on Nov. 1 will mark the 50th anniversary of the five-borough course, first run on Oct. 24, 1976. That year, 2,090 participants started in Staten Island, with 1,549 runners crossing the finish line
near Tavern on the Green in Central Park. In 2025, a record 59,226 runners crossed the finish line.
Here is where runners will now navigate after crossing the Willis Avenue Bridge:
- Make a left onto E 135th Street
- Turn right on Alexander Avenue and continuing straight on Alexander Avenue – instead of making a left on E 138th Street
- Turn left onto E 141st Street
- Turn left on Third Avenue
- Turn right onto E 138th Street to continue across the Madison Avenue Bridge
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New York City Marathon changes route for first time in 15 years
