New York City Marathon
The New York City Marathon, currently branded as the TCS New York City Marathon for sponsorship reasons, is an annual marathon that courses through the five boroughs of New York City. It is the largest marathon in the world, with 59,135 finishers in 2025 and over 200,000 applicants for the 2025 race. Along with the Boston Marathon and Chicago Marathon, it is among the pre-eminent long-distance annual running events in the United States, and one of the Abbott World Marathon Majors.
The race is organized by New York Road Runners and has been run every year since 1970, with the exception of 2012, when it was cancelled due to the landfall of Hurricane Sandy, and 2020, when it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The race is held on the first Sunday of November and attracts professional competitors and amateurs from all over the world. Because of the popularity of the race, participation is chosen largely by a . The lottery is conducted through drawing from three pools, "NYC Metro Area" applicants, "National" applicants, and "International" applicants. In 2025, there were more than 200,000 applications, and only 2-3% will be accepted. Guaranteed entry to the marathon can be gained by satisfying the requirements of the 9+1 program, becoming a NYRR Philanthropic Member at the 5K and 10K level, having completed 15 or more previous NYC Marathons, or meeting time qualification standards. In addition, runners can gain an entry by joining a team to raise funds for one of a number of charities.
History
Brainchild of George Spitz, the first New York City Marathon was held on September 13, 1970, organized by Fred Lebow and the then president of New York Road Runners, Vincent Chiappetta, with 127 competitors running several loops around the Park Drive of Central Park. Only about 100 spectators watched Gary Muhrcke win the race in 2:31:38. Only 55 runners crossed the finish line.That first marathon ignored the Amateur Athletic Union rules and allowed women in the event even if it meant that their scores would not be official. For the second marathon in 1971 the AAU allowed women to participate if they started the race 10 minutes before, or 10 minutes after the men, or if they ran a separate but equal course. In 1972 Nina Kuscsik, Pat Barrett, Lynn Blackstone, Liz Franceschini, Cathy Miller, and Jane Muhrke protested the rule of the AAU, which as implemented by the marathon that year meant that women had to start running ten minutes before the men. The women protested by sitting down and waiting ten minutes while holding signs protesting the rule, before starting to run when the men started; they became known as the NYC Six due to their protest. Ten minutes were added to their times. The ten minute difference requirement was dropped later in 1972.
Over the years, the marathon grew larger and larger. To celebrate the U.S. bicentennial in 1976, Ted Corbitt proposed that the race traverse all five boroughs. With the support of Manhattan Borough President Percy Sutton, the men convinced Mayor Abraham Beame and, eventually, race director Fred Lebow. The race was a huge success, and what was intended as a one-time celebration became the annual course.
Dick Traum became the first person to complete a marathon with a prosthetic leg when he finished the 1976 New York City Marathon. The marathon grew in popularity two years later when Norwegian Grete Waitz broke the women's world record, finishing in 2:32:30. She went on to win the race an unprecedented nine times. An official wheelchair and handcycle division was introduced in 2000 and starting in 2002, the elite women are given a 35-minute head start before the elite men and rest of the field.
Beginning in 1976, the race was run in late October and continued to be held in late October until 1986, when the race day was moved to November. The earliest race day was the marathon's first; the latest date in the marathon season was November 14, 1993. The hottest year for the race was 1979 when the race day of October 21 reached 80 °F. The coldest race was in 1995 when the race day of November 12 only reached 43 °F, with an intense wind chill.
The New York City Marathon has now become the largest marathon anywhere in the world. Each year nearly two-million spectators line the course. Before 2013, the marathon was broadcast live in the New York area on WNBC and on Universal Sports for the entire country; however, in 2013, WABC-TV and ESPN announced they would begin broadcasting the New York City Marathon. Since 2022, the marathon has also been aired in Spanish via ESPN Deportes. The Marathon can also be watched online and is broadcast to many global TV networks.
Course
Initial course
The race was founded by Fred Lebow. Ted Corbitt helped plan the course of the New York City Marathon. The initial course of 1970 consisted of repeated racing around Central Park. As per Ted Corbitt, who measured the original course:The final measurements of the original New York City Marathon course, Manhattan's Central Park, were done the evening of September 8, 1970, after work and training day, using the Calibrated Bicycle Method of Measuring. The course consisted of a start-up, out and back loop of 0.79 mile, from W. 67th St. and Central Park West, near the Tavern-on-the-Green Restaurant, up to the 72nd St. and the West Drive intersection and return to the Tavern-on-the Green followed by a loop of 1.695 miles; then four 5.935 mile loops, totaling 26.225 miles, ending at the Tavern-on-the Green Restaurant.
Five borough course
Since 1976, the course has included all five boroughs of New York City. It begins on Staten Island, in Fort Wadsworth, near the approach to the Verrazzano–Narrows Bridge. The bridge typically carries only vehicular traffic and is closed for the event. Runners use both sides of the bridge's upper level and the westbound side of the lower level. In the opening minutes of the race, the bridge is filled with runners, creating a dramatic spectacle that is closely associated with the event.After descending the bridge, the course winds through Brooklyn, mostly along Fourth Avenue and Bedford Avenue, for approximately the next. Runners pass through a variety of neighborhoods, including: Bay Ridge, Sunset Park, Park Slope, Bedford–Stuyvesant, Williamsburg, and Greenpoint.
At, runners cross the Pulaski Bridge, marking the halfway point of the race and the entrance into Long Island City in Queens. After about, runners exit Queens and cross the East River via the lower level of the Queensboro Bridge into Manhattan. At this point in the race, many runners begin to tire, as climbing the bridge is considered one of the most challenging points in the marathon.
Reaching Manhattan after about, the race proceeds north on First Avenue, then crosses into The Bronx via the Willis Avenue Bridge. The race is only in The Bronx for one mile before returning to Manhattan as the course follows East 138th St. before crossing the Madison Avenue Bridge. It then proceeds south through Harlem down Fifth Avenue and into Central Park at East 90th St. At the southern end of the park, the race proceeds west along 59th St./Central Park South, where thousands of spectators cheer runners on during the last mile. At Columbus Circle, the race reenters the park and finishes beside Tavern on the Green. The time limit for this course is hours from the 10:10 a.m. start.
Corrals and timing
In 2008, the race initiated a wave start. Professional women runners were given a separate, earlier start and the balance of the runners began in three staggered starts. The official times are those recorded by a computer chip attached to the back of the runner's bib number, which calculates when a runner crosses the start and when she crosses the finish, known as "net time".Runners also pass timing mats at 5 km intervals along the course, and e-mail notifications can be received by people following runners during the race to track their progress. Although the marathon publicity material uses miles, the timing mats are at 5 km intervals to accommodate the publishing of splits and also enabling potential world records for 20 km, 30 km and other sub-marathon distances to be recorded.