Central Park, Central Park, ManhattanSunday, October 25Free
TCS New York City Marathon Kids Kickoff Day
The free youth event that opens NYC Marathon week, for ages 2–18 of all abilities.
FreeMarathon weekKids
NYC Marathon
The TCS New York City Marathon runs on Sunday, November 1, 2026 — and this one carries weight beyond the usual: it marks 50 years of the five-borough course, first run in 1976 for the nation's bicentennial. The race starts on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge from Staten Island and finishes in Central Park, crossing five bridges and all five boroughs, with more than 55,000 participants and around two million spectators along the route.
Verified August 21 · updated as details are announced
- 2026 race date
- Sunday, November 1, 2026
Where to watch, if you are not running
Spectating is free everywhere on the course, and where you stand changes the day completely. Fourth Avenue in Brooklyn between miles 4 and 8 is the loudest sustained stretch and the easiest to reach. First Avenue in Manhattan after the Queensboro Bridge is the famous wall of noise around mile 16, where runners come off a silent bridge into a roar. Central Park South into the finish is the most emotional and the most crowded — arrive early or accept a third-row view. Crossing the course mid-race is tightly controlled, so pick a side of the city and stay on it.
The 50th anniversary of the five-borough race
The marathon began in 1970 as four laps of Central Park finished by 55 runners. In 1976 it left the park and ran through all five boroughs for the first time, tied to the bicentennial, and that decision made it the template for the modern big-city marathon. The 2026 edition marks fifty years of that course, so expect the anniversary to be woven through race week rather than confined to the Sunday.
Getting around on race day
Marathon Sunday reshapes the city's transit. The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge closes to traffic, the First Avenue and Fourth Avenue corridors are shut for hours, and crosstown movement in Manhattan above 59th Street is heavily restricted. The subway is the only sensible way to move between vantage points, and even that requires planning around which lines cross the course. NYRR publishes race-day logistics on its own site — worth checking in the week before, since the site sits behind a queue when demand spikes.
When is the 2026 NYC Marathon?
Sunday, November 1, 2026.
Where does the marathon start and finish?
It starts on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge from Staten Island and finishes in Central Park, passing through all five boroughs over 26.2 miles.
Does it cost anything to watch?
No — spectating anywhere along the course is free. First Avenue after the Queensboro Bridge and Fourth Avenue in Brooklyn are the two loudest stretches.
What makes 2026 different?
It marks the 50th anniversary of the five-borough course, which was first run in 1976 for the U.S. bicentennial.
6 picks · checked Aug 25
Sunday, Oct 251 pick
Central Park, Central Park, ManhattanSunday, October 25 · One Day Only
Central Park, Central Park, ManhattanFree
TCS New York City Marathon Kids Kickoff Day
The free youth event that opens NYC Marathon week, for ages 2–18 of all abilities.
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Thursday, Oct 291 pick
Javits Center, Hudson Yards, ManhattanThursday October 29 – Saturday October 31Free entry
TCS New York City Marathon Expo
Three days of the marathon expo at Javits — where every runner collects their bib.
FreeMarathon weekExpo
Thursday October 29 – Saturday October 31 · One Day Only
Javits Center, Hudson Yards, ManhattanFree entry
TCS New York City Marathon Expo
Three days of the marathon expo at Javits — where every runner collects their bib.
Friday, Oct 302 picks
Central Park Finish Line, Central Park, ManhattanFriday · Race week, beside the finish lineFree entry
TCS New York City Marathon Pavilion
The marathon's official welcome centre by the finish line — merchandise, programming and a Tavern on the Green café.
FreeMarathon weekCentral Park
Friday · Race week, beside the finish line · One Day Only
Central Park Finish Line, Central Park, ManhattanFree entry
TCS New York City Marathon Pavilion
The marathon's official welcome centre by the finish line — merchandise, programming and a Tavern on the Green café.
Marathon Pavilion, Central Park, Central Park, ManhattanFriday, October 30Ticketed
NYRR Night of Champions — NYC Marathon Week
The Friday-night race-week benefit for NYRR's free youth and community programmes.
Marathon weekTicketedCharity
Friday, October 30 · One Day Only
Marathon Pavilion, Central Park, Central Park, ManhattanTicketed
NYRR Night of Champions — NYC Marathon Week
The Friday-night race-week benefit for NYRR's free youth and community programmes.
Saturday, Oct 311 pick
Midtown to Central Park, Midtown, ManhattanSaturday, October 31Ticketed (entry)
Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K — NYC Marathon Week
A 5K through Midtown finishing on the actual marathon finish line, the day before the marathon.
Marathon week5KCentral Park
Saturday, October 31 · One Day Only
Midtown to Central Park, Midtown, ManhattanTicketed (entry)
Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K — NYC Marathon Week
A 5K through Midtown finishing on the actual marathon finish line, the day before the marathon.
Sunday, Nov 11 pick
Five-borough course, Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge to Central Park, Central Park South, ManhattanMetropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York from United States of America · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia CommonsSunday, November 1, 2026Free to watch from the sidewa…
TCS New York City Marathon
Some 55,000 runners cross the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge and 26.2 miles of all five boroughs, finishing in Central Park before roaring sidewalk crowds.
FreeMarathonFive boroughs
Sunday, November 1, 2026 · One Day Only
Five-borough course, Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge to Central Park, Central Park South, ManhattanMetropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York from United States of America · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia CommonsFree to watch from the sidewa…
TCS New York City Marathon
Some 55,000 runners cross the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge and 26.2 miles of all five boroughs, finishing in Central Park before roaring sidewalk crowds.
