In a year of landmark events for New York City, this year’s TCS New York City Marathon is no exception. This year’s running marks the 50th anniversary of the five-borough course that has made the race the ultimate running competition in the world.
The marathon began in 1970 as a race located entirely within Central Park, but in 1976, the route changed to travel through parts of all five boroughs — starting at the Verrazzano Bridge on Staten Island, and ending near Tavern on the Green in Central Park.
The course forever transformed the New York City Marathon into a prestigious running event — bringing together not only people from every borough, but across the world, to conquer the course or at least cheer the runners on.
It’s called the “Best Day of the Year in the Best City in the World” for a reason. On Nov. 1, 60,000 runners will descend upon New York. In waves beginning promptly at 8 a.m. until 11:30 a.m., the streets will slowly be flooded with runners as they trot across Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Manhattan.
Where’s the route?
Runners prepare for the 26.2-mile course at the foot of the Verrazzano Bridge in Staten Island. Then, after coming off the bridge into Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn, runners will make their way across the borough into Bay Ridge then Sunset Park as they take Fourth Avenue into Park Slope. After Flatbush Avenue and Lafayette Avenue to Clinton Hill, Williamsburg and Greenpoint, the course uses the Pulaski Bridge to jump into the next borough: Queens.
The Queens leg of the race is fairly short, running through Long Island City before departing the borough for a brief stop in Manhattan across the Ed Koch-Queensboro Bridge. Runners will head north on First Avenue for a few miles as they are welcomed into the South Bronx before returning to Manhattan and heading down Fifth Avenue. Now in the last miles of the race, runners will border Central Park before turning into it at Columbus Circle, where thousands of family, friends and fans eagerly cheer them on.
You can see the whole course map online.
Who’s running?
With a stunning 59,226 finishers from 130 countries in 2025, the marathon is likely to break its previous records. While we don’t know exactly how many finishers there will be, it is likely to surpass 60,000 this year.
Last year, runners finished with an average time of four hours, 32 minutes and 25 seconds. Professional runners Hellen Obiri and Benson Kipruto, both 35 and from Kenya, finished first for their respective groups. Obiri finished with a time of two hours, 19 minutes and 51 seconds in a close race with Sharon Lokedi and Sheila Chepkirui, while Kipruto finished with a time of two hours, eight minutes and nine seconds.
For anyone wanting to track a runner’s progress and cheer them on virtually, you can use the NYRR app or follow live team results online. Official results will be posted after the race online.
What’s traffic going to look like?
Marathon Sunday is not the best day to drive. Every street that’s a part of the course will be closed off, including the Verrazano Bridge, the Queensboro Bridge, and parts of First and Fifth Avenue. Drivers should follow detours or refrain from driving if they can.
In terms of public transportation, subway lines are scattered across the course, so check the MTA website for changes and an updated list of options on the day of the event.
Where can you support?
Most of the course is open to spectators from mile 3 to mile 26. There are special fan zones all along the route. There’s a NYRR member cheer zone after mile 8 and another before mile 22, as well as a charity cheer zone right after mile 19.
For those who want front-row seats to the action of the final 200 meters, the East Side Grandstand seating is available for purchase so you can watch your runner triumphantly cross that finish line, although seats are limited, so purchase them while you still can.
If you can’t join in person or just don’t feel like waking up early on a cold Sunday morning, the marathon will be broadcast on various networks. You can watch live coverage from 8 to 11:30 a.m. ET on ESPN2, or in Spanish on ESPN3. As runners cross the finish line, there will be a live two-hour show airing nationally on ABC Network, showing celebrities and thousands of everyday runners crossing the finish line from 3 to 5 p.m. ET.
Outside the U.S.? No problem, check the NYRR site for where to watch.
