World Marathon Majors · New York City, United States
New York City Marathon New York City
First held in 1970 as a few laps of Central Park, the New York City Marathon has crossed all five boroughs since 1976 and joined the World Marathon Majors at its founding in 2006. With 59,226 finishers in 2025, it is one of the largest marathons in the world.
- Next edition
- November 1, 2026
- Finishers
- 59,2262025
- Course record, men
- 2:04:58Tamirat Tola, 2023
- Course record, women
- 2:19:51Hellen Obiri, 2025
Course map
The route from start to finish, drawn from the real course track. Numbers match the landmarks below; small dots mark every 5 km.The route from start to finish, drawn from the real course track. Numbers match the landmarks below; small dots mark every 5 mi.
Course profile
Elevation along the course, lightly smoothed. Hover or tap the chart to read any point; numbered markers match the list below.
Point to point
- 10 km0 miStart, Staten Island at the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge
- 212.9 km8 miFourth Avenue and Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn
- 321.098 km13.109 miPulaski Bridge into Queens (halfway)
- 424.1 km15 miQueensboro Bridge (Queens side)
- 525.7 km16 miFirst Avenue, Manhattan
- 632.2 km20 miThe Bronx, after the Willis Avenue Bridge
- 733.8 km21 miMadison Avenue Bridge back into Manhattan (mile 21)
- 837 km23 miFifth Avenue, Upper East Side
- 942.195 km26.219 miFinish, West Drive at 67th Street, Central Park
What it’s like
A point-to-point course that starts on Staten Island, crosses the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge into Brooklyn, reaches Queens over the Pulaski Bridge at halfway, climbs the Queensboro Bridge into Manhattan, dips into the Bronx via the Willis Avenue Bridge and returns over the Madison Avenue Bridge before running down Fifth Avenue into Central Park. The bridges carry no spectators, but crowds line most of the course from mile 3 to the finish. Race day is the first Sunday of November; temperatures have ranged from 6°C (1995) to about 27°C (1979). For 2026 the Bronx section was slightly rerouted, the first course change in 15 years.
How to get in
- Ballot
Non-guaranteed drawing
Runners without guaranteed entry apply to a drawing held in three pools: NYC metro area, rest of the US, and international. For 2026 applications ran from 4 to 25 February with the drawing on 4 March 2026, plus a second-chance drawing for NYRR members; 2027 dates have not been announced.
- Guaranteed time
Time qualifiers
For 2027, times from 1 January to 31 December 2026 count. A marathon or half at an NYRR race gives guaranteed entry; marathon times from other certified races get a limited number of places, given to the fastest in each category. Standards for ages 18-34 are 2:53 marathon / 1:21 half for men and 3:13 / 1:32 for women.
- Club / local
NYRR 9+1 program
NYRR members who run nine qualifying NYRR races and volunteer at one qualifying event in 2026 can claim guaranteed, paid entry to the 2027 race.
- Charity
Official charity partners and Team for Kids
Fundraising through an official charity partner or NYRR Team for Kids gives guaranteed entry; 2027 charity partners are to be announced in spring 2027.
- Tour operator
International tour operators
Non-US residents can buy a package with guaranteed entry from an official international tour operator; 2027 operators are to be announced in early 2027.
- Other
15+ finishes, virtual tier and deferral
Runners with 15 or more NYC Marathon finishes, finishers of the guaranteed-entry tier of the 2026 virtual marathon, and entrants who cancelled their 2026 entry under the cancellation rules can claim paid guaranteed entry for 2027.
Registration
The general drawing opens in February and closes after about three weeks, with the draw in early March; for 2026 the window was 4-25 February and the drawing was on 4 March 2026. Dates for the 2027 drawing (race on 7 November 2027) had not been announced as of 28 September 2026.
Plan your race
Facts checked against the official race website and the World Marathon Majors on September 28, 2026. Entry rules change every year: always confirm on the official site.