New York Marathon: Date, Course and How to Get In

When is the New York Marathon?

The TCS New York City Marathon is held on the first Sunday in November. The 2027 race is Sunday, November 7, 2027; the 2026 race was Sunday, November 1.¹⁵⁶

Race day starts early and runs long. Runners who are dropped off must reach Fort Wadsworth before the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge closes to traffic at 7 a.m., and in 2026 the five waves started between 9:10 and 11:30 a.m.⁴⁸

How do you get into the New York Marathon?

There are three main routes in: the drawing, a guaranteed-entry program, or a charity or tour-operator place. NYRR had not announced 2027 application dates when this guide was checked.²

1. Apply to the non-guaranteed drawing during the application window, which NYRR will announce.² For the 2026 race, the drawing fee was $269 for NYRR members and $331 for everyone else, according to The Running Channel.⁹
2. Join NYRR first if you can: members who apply to the drawing are automatically entered in a member-only second-chance drawing, as long as their membership is active from the day before applications open through drawing day.²
3. Earn guaranteed entry. Members who ran nine qualifying NYRR races and volunteered at one in 2026 can claim 2027 entry through 9+1.² Runners who meet the time standards at certain NYRR races in 2026, who have finished 15 or more New York City Marathons, or who canceled their 2026 entry under NYRR's rules can also claim entry.²
4. Have a fast marathon time from another certified race? NYRR offers a limited number of places to time qualifiers from non-NYRR marathons, but applying does not guarantee entry.² The Running Channel lists the standards as 2:53 for men and 3:13 for women aged 18 to 34.⁹
5. Run for charity: NYRR Team for Kids fundraisers get guaranteed entry, and the full list of official charity partners comes out in spring 2027.²
6. Live outside the United States? Book a package with guaranteed entry through an Official International Tour Operator; NYRR will name them in early 2027.²

• 9+1 is changing: for the 2028 race, 9+1 passholders are picked in a free member-only drawing and pay $99 to take part.¹⁰

What is the New York Marathon course like?

The course runs 26.2 miles through the five boroughs of New York City.³ It was first run on the city's streets on October 24, 1976.³

The 2026 race brought the first course change in 15 years: after the Willis Avenue Bridge, runners now take East 135th Street, Alexander Avenue, East 141st Street and Third Avenue before crossing the Madison Avenue Bridge, to reduce the race's impact on the Bronx.³

The color of your race number tells you your start village at Fort Wadsworth, and the only bag allowed in is the clear official start village bag. Wave and corral assignments cannot be changed.⁴

1. Staten Island, the start: runners leave Fort Wadsworth and cross the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge into Brooklyn, which they reach at about mile 2.⁴¹¹
2. Brooklyn, about miles 2 to 13: through Bay Ridge, north on Fourth Avenue past Sunset Park and Park Slope, along Lafayette Avenue, then through Williamsburg and Greenpoint. It is the longest stretch in any borough.¹¹
3. Queens, about miles 13 to 15: a short run through Long Island City to the Queensboro Bridge.¹¹
4. Manhattan, about miles 16 to 20: off the Queensboro Bridge onto First Avenue, then north through the Upper East Side and East Harlem to the Willis Avenue Bridge.¹¹
5. The Bronx, about mile 20: since 2026 the route takes East 135th Street, Alexander Avenue, East 141st Street and Third Avenue, then crosses the Madison Avenue Bridge back to Manhattan.³¹¹
6. Manhattan to the finish, about miles 21 to 26.2: south through Harlem and down Fifth Avenue, into Central Park near mile 24, along Central Park South at mile 25 and back into the park to finish.⁷¹¹

Is the New York Marathon good for a personal best?

Most runners do not pick it for a fast time. The course map shows five bridge crossings: the Verrazzano-Narrows at the start, the bridge from Brooklyn into Queens near mile 13, the Queensboro Bridge between miles 15 and 16, and the Willis Avenue and Madison Avenue Bridges around miles 20 and 21.¹¹

The wait is long too: buses and ferries run hours before the later waves, and the last 2026 wave started at 11:30 a.m.⁴⁸ In 2025 the average finish time was 4:32:25 across 59,226 finishers.¹

If a personal best or a Boston qualifying time is the goal, start with the races whose own listings describe a flat, fast course or say they are Boston qualifiers. Run New York for the crowds and the five boroughs.

• Fast and flat races for a PR
• Boston Marathon qualifier races

Water, fuel and toilets on the course

• Water and Gatorade Endurance Formula (lemon-lime) at every mile from mile 3 to mile 25, except miles 5, 7 and 9.³
• Maurten gels at gel depots at miles 12 and 18; NYRR advises carrying your own fuel too, because supply is limited.³
• Bananas at mile 21.³
• Self-serve water refill stations at miles 8, 14, 17, 20 and 23, and portable toilets at every mile from mile 3.³

Race weekend: the expo

Bibs are collected at the TCS New York City Marathon Expo Presented by New Balance, where Maurten gels are also sold.³ NYRR's expo page was offline when this guide was checked, so confirm the venue, hours and pickup rules on nyrr.org before you travel.

Getting to the start

NYRR assigns each runner a way to the start: the Staten Island Ferry, a bus from the New York Public Library in Midtown or a bus from the Meadowlands in New Jersey. Runners who use a different option or time slot can be penalized.⁸

If you are dropped off, you must arrive before the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge closes to all traffic at 7 a.m.⁸

• Marathon race day checklist: what to pack, eat and do

What happens if you fall behind?

The course schedule lets anyone who holds a 16-minute-mile pace from the last wave's start finish on the streets. Slower runners are asked to move to the sidewalks or take the sweep bus.³

Everyone who finishes by 10 p.m. Eastern gets a medal and an official result. Runners who finish after 10 p.m. still get a medal but no official result.³

Where to watch and how to get around

Most of the course is open to spectators from mile 3 to mile 26, and watching from the street is free. NYRR also sells grandstand seats, and the race is broadcast live.⁵

Bib Scouts' team has not run or watched this race in person, so the viewing and transport advice here is NYRR's own.

Who won in 2026?

Andreas Almgren of Sweden won the men's race in 2:06:01 in his marathon debut, and Sheila Chepkirui of Kenya won the women's race in 2:24:36.⁶ Marcel Hug and Catherine Debrunner won the wheelchair races.⁶

What if you miss out on entry?

If the drawing does not go your way, run one of New York City's half marathons, or pick another marathon. The table below lists the other marathons in New York State on Bib Scouts, and the NYC half marathon guide covers the United Airlines NYC Half in March and the other halves in the five boroughs.

• NYC half marathons: the NYC Half and other 2027 races
• Every race in New York City
• Races across New York
• Marine Corps Marathon guide, another fall marathon
• Turkey trots near you
• Spring half marathons
• How many miles in a marathon race?