Curated event
New York City Marathon 2026: race Sunday across five boroughs and where to stay
The TCS New York City Marathon runs on Sunday, November 1, 2026, the 50th anniversary of the five-borough course from Staten Island to the finish in Central Park. It is the largest marathon in the world, and for one day the city's bridges, avenues and hotels belong to it.
- Dates: November 1, 2026
- Venue: Central Park finish line, New York
- Organised by: New York Road Runners
- Admission: Registration required
- Checked: September 11, 2026
Spectators should pick one borough and stay there: First Avenue in Manhattan, Fourth Avenue in Brooklyn or the Central Park finish each need a different subway plan. Runners should base in Midtown or the Upper East or West Side for the finish, book early, and remember the clocks go back the same morning.
Schedule
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| Sunday, November 1, 2026 | Race day: Staten Island start, Central Park finish |
Dates and hours come from the organisers' announcements and can change. Check them once more before setting out.
Official tickets and registration ยท Entry is through New York Road Runners by lottery, qualifying time, charity or tour operator; the course is free to watch.
The event
The TCS New York City Marathon is the world's largest marathon and one of the six Majors. The 2026 race on Sunday, November 1 marks fifty years since the course first left Central Park to cross all five boroughs in 1976.
Runners start on Staten Island, cross the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge into Brooklyn, run through Queens and up First Avenue in Manhattan, touch the Bronx and finish in Central Park. Waves start through the morning, so the course is live for most of the day.
Where to watch
Fourth Avenue in Brooklyn gives the widest sidewalks and the earliest sight of the field. First Avenue in Manhattan is the loudest stretch and easy to reach on the subway. The Central Park finish is the most restricted, with entry limited around the finish area, so most families meet runners on the park's edges afterward.
Crossing the course on foot is slow while the field is passing; choose a side of the avenue and a subway station on that side, and give yourself a long margin.
The weekend around it
The expo and bib pick-up run in the days before the race, and runners must collect their own bib, so plan a Manhattan afternoon for it. Marathon weekend hotels in Midtown and on the Upper East and West Sides sell out months ahead with minimum stays.
Daylight saving time ends on the morning of the race, so the clocks go back an hour overnight: set the alarm for the new time and expect the city to feel off-kilter until lunch.
Good to know
- Subway lines near the course run crowded from mid-morning; the finish area in Central Park restricts entry to ticketed and credentialed areas.
- The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge and long stretches of Fourth and First Avenues close to traffic from early morning.
- Confirm wave start times, the expo schedule and spectator guidance on the organiser's site in race week.
Where to stay for marathon weekend
Midtown keeps the expo, the finish and the trains within reach; Brooklyn bases suit spectators who want Fourth Avenue on foot. These guides compare the bases and open live availability for November dates.
- Where to stay in New York on a first visit Compare available stays after choosing the base.
- Midtown vs Downtown vs Brooklyn for a first New York base The choice of where to stay by neighborhood.
On our sister guides
Sources and transparency: 2026 TCS New York City Marathon event listing (race date, start and finish, expo) (checked 2026-09-11) Not a paid listing. Editorial policy Full agenda