What to know about this year’s New York City Marathon

The largest marathon in the world returns to the Big Apple, and the 53rd edition of the 26.2-mile jaunt through the five boroughs of New York City figures to be the biggest ever.

More than 50,000 runners will run the TCS New York City Marathon on Sunday, along with millions more expected to watch on television.

American runners are looking to break a drought by crossing the finish line first. It’s been 15 years since Meb Keflezighi won on the men’s side in 2009. Shalane Flanagan, in 2017, was the last American woman to win the NYC marathon.

Three of the four professional winners from last year’s race are coming back to try to defend their crown. Tamirat Tola, the men’s professional winner, and Hellen Obiri of Kenya, the women’s winner, is back. Marcel Hug is going for his fourth consecutive victory in the men’s wheelchair division at the NYC marathon and seventh win overall.

The women’s wheelchair defending champion, Catherine Debrunner, who won five Paralympic gold medals in Paris and captured the title at last month’s Chicago Marathon, will not participate.

When is New York City Marathon?

The 2024 TCS New York City Marathon starts at 8 a.m. ET on Sunday, Nov. 3.

Start times for New York City Marathon

8 a.m. – Professional Men’s Wheelchair Division
8:02 a.m. – Professional Women’s Wheelchair Division
8:22 a.m. – Handcycle Category 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

How long is New York City Marathon?

The official closure time of the marathon is 10 p.m. ET. Runners finishing after that time will not be recorded as official finishers but will receive finisher medals.

How to watch New York City Marathon

The national broadcast will air on ESPN2 at 8 a.m. ET and can be streamed via the ESPN App. A domestic Spanish-language broadcast will air live on ESPN3 starting at 8 a.m. ET.

For those watching in the New York City tri-state area, coverage on WABC-TV, Channel 7 begins at 6:30 a.m. ET.

From 3-5 p.m. ET, ABC will broadcast a live two-hour show featuring celebrities and thousands of everyday runners.

Patrons can cheer on their favorite competitors, friends and family in person from the grandstands located at West 62nd Street and Broadway. Tickets are available for the Grandstand Seating. Most of the course from mile 3 to mile 26 is open to spectators, who can find sidewalk space and watch for free.

Fans can also follow a runner’s progress via the TCS New York City Marathon App.

New York City Marathon route

The race starts at the Verrazzano–Narrows Bridge on Staten Island before runners work their way through Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, and the Bronx, with the finish line at Central Park, at 67th Street on West Drive.

New York City Marathon defending champions

Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola won the men’s professional race in 2:04:58, setting a new open division course record, while Hellen Obiri of Kenya outlasted Ethiopia’s Letesenbet Gidey and defending champion Sharon Lokedi to win the women’s professional crown.

The Swiss pair of Marcel Hug and Catherine Debrunner won the men’s and women’s wheelchair events, respectively. Hug won the event for the third consecutive year, capturing his record-sixth NYC marathon victory, and Debrunner broke the course record by three minutes, set the previous year.

New York City Marathon prize money

Prize money is equal for men and women, and the top American finishers in the men’s and women’s races will receive $25,000. A $50,000 bonus will be paid to the Open Division and/or Wheelchair Division race winners who break the current event record.