The 2026 TCS New York City Marathon is here, and this year’s race comes with a major change.
The annual race takes place today Sunday, Nov. 1, featuring a course change for the first time in 15 years. More than 60,000 runners from 140 countries are expected to take part, after a record 59,226 runners crossed the finish line in 2025.
This year’s race also marks a milestone: the 50th anniversary of the five-borough course, which was first run on Oct. 24, 1976. That year, 2,090 participants started in Staten Island, and 1,549 finished near Tavern on the Green in Central Park. The entry fee was just $5.
Here’s everything to know.
What Time Does the NYC Marathon Start?
The 2026 New York City Marathon starts at 8 a.m. ET on Sunday, Nov. 1. Here’s the full schedule:
- 8 a.m.: Men’s Professional Wheelchair Division
- 8:02 a.m.: Women’s Professional Wheelchair Division
- 8:22 a.m.: Handcycles and Select Athletes with Disabilities
- 8:35 a.m.: Professional Women’s Open Division
- 9:05 a.m.: Professional Men’s Open Division
- 9:10 a.m.: Wave 1
- 9:45 a.m.: Wave 2
- 10:20 a.m.: Wave 3
- 10:55 a.m.: Wave 4
- 11:30 a.m.: Wave 5
Conditions are cloudy and calm, with temperatures in the mid-40s to start the morning and highs expected to reach 60 by mid-afternoon.
How to Watch the NYC Marathon
The national broadcast airs on ESPN2 starting at 8 a.m. ET, and the race can be streamed on ESPN Unlimited. Pre-race coverage streams on ESPN Unlimited from 7 to 8 a.m. ET, with continuing coverage from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET.
In the New York tri-state area, WABC-TV Channel 7 begins its pre-race coverage at 7 a.m., and viewers can livestream on the ABC7 New York app and ABC7NY.com. ABC’s “Live from the TCS New York City Marathon” airs nationally from 3 to 5 p.m. ET.
For those watching in person, most of the course is open to spectators from mile 3 to mile 26. Grandstand seating is available at West 62nd Street and Broadway, and fans can also cheer from the sidewalks.
NYC Marathon Tracking
Friends and family can follow runners in real time through the official TCS New York City Marathon app, which offers live tracking of participants throughout the race.
NYC Marathon 2026 Route
The race begins on Staten Island and crosses the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge into Brooklyn. From there, runners head through Queens and into Manhattan, then cross into the Bronx before returning to Manhattan at mile 22. The race finishes in Central Park at 67th Street on West Drive.
Celebrities Running the 2026 NYC Marathon
Several famous faces are taking on the 26.2-mile course this year, including:
- Jennifer Connelly, Oscar-winning actress
- Tiki Barber, former New York Giants star
- Patina Miller, Tony Award-winning Broadway star
- Nev Schulman, “Catfish: The TV Show” creator and host
- Samantha Judge, wife of Yankees star Aaron Judge
- T.J. Holmes, journalist
- Errol Barnett, CBS News anchor
- N.O.R.E., rapper and media personality
- Darby Allin, AEW pro wrestler
- Oz Pearlman, mentalist
Who Won the NYC Marathon Last Year?
All four of last year’s professional winners are returning to defend their titles. Benson Kipruto won the men’s race by the smallest margin in history, beating Alexander Mutiso Munyao by just 0.16 seconds. Hellen Obiri won the women’s race and set a course record of 2:19:51.
In the wheelchair divisions, Marcel Hug won his seventh NYC Marathon title. Susannah Scaroni, who gave birth to a baby boy in August, is making a surprise return as she chases her third straight NYC Marathon wheelchair crown.
NYC Marathon Prize Money
The winners of the open division take home $100,000, with a $50,000 bonus for breaking a course record. The full open division payouts are: first place, $100,000; second, $60,000; third, $40,000; fourth, $25,000; fifth, $15,000; sixth, $10,000; seventh, $7,500; eighth, $5,000; ninth, $2,500; and tenth, $2,000.
In the wheelchair division, first place earns $50,000, followed by $25,000 for second, $20,000 for third, $15,000 for fourth, $10,000 for fifth and $5,000 for sixth.