About the race
The TCS New York City Marathon is a road race that crosses all five boroughs of the city and is run each autumn in early November. It is described as the largest marathon in the world.
History
Fred Lebow organised the first edition on 13 September 1970, when 127 runners circled Central Park several times; only 55 finished and about 100 people watched. In the early years women were not fully accepted by the governing body, and in 1972 a group known as the NYC Six sat down at the start line in protest before racing. Since 1976 the race has used a route through all five boroughs. TCS has been the sponsor since 2013.
The course
The race begins on Staten Island at Fort Wadsworth, beside the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, which is closed to traffic so runners can fill it in the opening minutes. After descending into Brooklyn, runners follow Fourth Avenue and Bedford Avenue for roughly 11 miles through neighbourhoods including Bay Ridge, Park Slope and Williamsburg. Halfway comes at the Pulaski Bridge, which leads into Queens. Runners then climb the Queensboro Bridge into Manhattan, run north on First Avenue, loop briefly through the Bronx, and come down through Harlem and along Fifth Avenue to Central Park. The finish is beside Tavern on the Green.
Entry basics
Most places are allocated by lottery from three pools: New York metro area, national and international applicants. Wikipedia reports more than 200,000 applications in 2025 with only a small share accepted. Guaranteed routes include the 9+1 programme for club members, having completed 15 or more previous editions, meeting time qualifying standards, or running for a charity team. The time limit has varied, and in 2025 the official finish time was 10:00 p.m. Eastern.
Where to watch
Close to two million spectators line the course each year. Crowds are heavy on Fourth Avenue in Brooklyn, around the Queensboro Bridge exit onto First Avenue, in Harlem, and in the closing miles along Fifth Avenue and Central Park South, where thousands cheer in the last mile.
Weather
November is late autumn in New York. Race mornings can be cool and crisp, though the conditions can change from year to year, and some editions have had notably cold or windy days, so it helps to check the local forecast shortly before race day.