The basics
The New York City Marathon is held on the first Sunday of November each year and draws approximately 50,000 runners through all five boroughs — the only major marathon to do so. The course starts on Staten Island (reaching that borough by ferry), runs through Brooklyn and Queens, crosses into the Bronx briefly, and finishes in Central Park through Upper Manhattan.
How it affects getting around
Marathon day involves significant road closures across the course route, and the effects on traffic are felt throughout the city. Subway lines that cross the course can experience delays around road closure times. If you're staying in an affected neighbourhood (especially on the Upper East or West Side near the finish), plan ground-level transport to be slower than usual. The subway is the most reliable option for marathon day movement.
Watching as a spectator
Watching the NYC Marathon is free and requires no registration — you simply stand along the course. The most atmospheric spots are in Brooklyn (particularly the Bedford Avenue stretch in Williamsburg, around mile 8), First Avenue in Manhattan (mile 16–18, where the crowd noise reaches a particular intensity), and the finish area in Central Park. Arrive early to secure a good spot, particularly near the finish.
Running it
Entry is by lottery (apply in winter for the following November race), guaranteed entry through charity partnerships (fundraising minimum required), or international travel packages that include a guaranteed bib. The lottery is genuinely competitive — acceptance rates have been around 10–15% in recent years.
The route and what it means for visitors
The NYC Marathon route is a useful piece of knowledge even if you're not running it: the course passes through all five boroughs in order — Staten Island (start, via the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge), Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Manhattan (finish in Central Park at 67th Street) — covering 26.2 miles. Road closures on marathon Sunday are significant and should be factored into any plans that involve crossing the route, particularly in Brooklyn in the morning and along First Avenue in Manhattan in the early afternoon. The finish area around Central Park South is effectively closed to non-spectators for several hours around the finish.
The spectator experience
Watching the NYC Marathon is free and can be genuinely moving — the field of 50,000 runners passes any fixed point over several hours, with elite runners followed eventually by costumed runners, charity runners, and people running for personal reasons that are often visibly emotional. The best spectating positions are in Brooklyn (the crowd energy in Bay Ridge, Park Slope, and Williamsburg is exceptional early in the race) and along First Avenue in Manhattan (mile 16, where the runners hit the Manhattan crowds for the first time after the long Queens section — a noticeably energizing section of the course). The finish in Central Park requires a spectator pass for access to the designated areas.
If you're running
Entry is by lottery (typically opens in February for the November race) or through guaranteed entry via charity places or the New York Road Runners' 9+1 programme, which requires running nine qualifying races and one volunteering shift during the calendar year. Hotel availability during marathon weekend is tight and priced at peak rates — booking accommodations six months or more ahead is not excessive for marathon week.