City guide
New York City Marathon: course, bridges and the best spots to watch
There are marathons, and there is New York. Running here is not just 42.195 kilometres, it is a tour through all five boroughs of a city that stops on a Sunday in early November to watch. In 2026 the five-borough course celebrates its 50th birthday.
The course in five acts
- Staten Island: the start at the foot of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. The first two kilometres climb over the bridge with Manhattan in view. Goosebumps from metre one.
- Brooklyn: the longest section. Fourth Avenue is a wall of spectators, bands and handmade signs.
- Queens: short, and then comes the Queensboro Bridge. Up there it suddenly goes quiet, just footsteps and breathing.
- Manhattan: at the bottom of the bridge you turn onto First Avenue, and the silence turns into a noise that is hard to describe. Many runners call it the best moment of the whole race.
- The Bronx and back: a short detour into the Bronx around mile 20, then back to Manhattan, down Fifth Avenue into Central Park and the finish.
How hard is the course?
New York is not a personal best course. The bridges add climbing, and Fifth Avenue has a long, sneaky drag just before Central Park. In return, the atmosphere is unmatched. Tip: take the Verrazzano easy, you will need those legs in the second half.
How do I get a place?
Most places are given out by ballot. There are also places via qualifying times, charity programmes and official tour operators. Prefer to watch? The best spots are Fourth Avenue in Brooklyn, First Avenue in Manhattan and the last kilometres around Central Park.
After the race
Finish in New York and on Monday you walk around with your medal while strangers congratulate you on the subway. For everything after that there is our New York 42.2 shirt with the skyline and 42.195 on the back. And once New York is done, the next Major is usually already in the planning: our guide to all Marathon Majors helps with the collection.
