One of New York’s most highly anticipated sporting spectacles is almost here. Every first Sunday in November, the New York City Marathon brings that same infectious, celebratory energy back onto the streets, stretching the party 26.2 miles across five boroughs.
This year’s November 1 race marks a milestone: the 50th anniversary of the course, first run in 1976. That makes it an even more special day for the nearly 60,000 participating runners and roughly 2 million spectators expected to line the route throughout the city.
Whether you’re chasing a personal best, cheering on a loved one or just want in on the action, we’ve gone the extra mile to map out where to stay, where to stand and what to know.
The Route
The thousands of runners from more than 130 countries set off from Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island in a staggered start. The professional wheelchair athletes go first, around 8 a.m., and the elite women and men follow over the next hour or so. The mass waves begin around 9 a.m. and leave every 35 minutes, with the final group heading out at 11:30 am. Each one crosses the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, touching down in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.
From there, the course follows Fourth Avenue through Sunset Park and Park Slope, swings onto Lafayette Avenue in Fort Greene and turns north along Bedford Avenue through Bed-Stuy and Williamsburg into Greenpoint. Runners hit the halfway mark on the Pulaski Bridge, which carries them into Queens.
Next, the Queensboro (59th Street) Bridge delivers them to Manhattan’s First Avenue, and the Willis Avenue Bridge leads into the Bronx, where the route has been streamlined with two fewer turns — the first change in 15 years. The Madison Avenue Bridge returns runners to Manhattan for the final five miles: south on Fifth Avenue, cutting through Harlem. The course then enters Central Park at 90th Street, exits onto Central Park South and re-enters at Columbus Circle for the finish on the West Side near Tavern on the Green.
Spectators along Central Park South can expect the professional athletes a little before 11 a.m. After that, runners stream through from midday into the late afternoon. With the average finisher taking a little under five hours, the middle of the pack arrives around mid-afternoon.
Where to Watch
Downtown Brooklyn, Mile 8 Cheering Station
The Plaza at 300 Ashland, at Ashland Place and Flatbush Avenue, anchors one of the marathon’s most high-energy spectator zones and marks the start of the Lafayette Avenue stretch. From 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., expect free coffee, live music and a chorus of cowbells, a Downtown Brooklyn tradition.
Follow the course along Lafayette, and the party keeps rolling, with mile 9 known for pop-up DJs, gospel singers and champagne on stoops.
With subway lines close by and the Brooklyn Academy of Music as a handy landmark, it’s also an easy place to meet up.
Manhattan Avenue
Just shy of the halfway mark and buzzing with neighborhood spirit, Greenpoint’s Manhattan Avenue is an ideal perch for spectators. Local bars and restaurants often pitch in with pop-ups, speaker setups and special treats to keep the cheers coming all day.
Don’t miss Eavesdrop, a craft cocktail and listening bar. In its third year teaming up with Bandit Running, an apparel and lifestyle brand, it will hand out snacks and surprises from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and bump the tunes on a new sound system with a stacked entertainment lineup.
First Avenue
This spot delivers a signature New York City Marathon moment. With no fans permitted on the course’s bridges, the Queensboro Bridge is the race’s quietest stretch. After crossing, runners hit First Avenue around mile 16 and meet a tidal wave of cheers from spectators lining the wide, straight avenue.
Lenox Hill’s many bars and restaurants add to the festive atmosphere. Treadwell Park, a craft beer hall a few blocks past the bridge exit, is one example, with 20 rotating drafts and big-screen TVs.
Arrive by mid-morning to catch the pros, then allow roughly an hour to cross town to Central Park South for the final mile.
Where to Stay
Equinox Hotel New York
As part of the leading luxury fitness brand, Equinox Hotel New York is the natural base camp for serious runners before and after the race. Any seasoned marathoner knows a race is shaped by what happens on either side of it, and the hotel’s Marathon Ritual puts you ahead of the pack before the starting gun.
A curated race kit — which includes CBD cream, Longevity Rx Cellular Hydration packets, spirulina and chlorella tablets, high-performance mental cue cards, Biologique Recherche Patchs Défatigants eye patches, a Masque Caviar Vert face mask and more — greets you on arrival. The room does the rest: blackout shades, targeted morning and evening routines and temperature-regulating mattresses built for a good night’s sleep.
Shake out your legs beforehand with full access to Equinox Hudson Yards, including Precision Run (a treadmill workout), other top-tier equipment and exclusive group fitness classes. On race morning, grab breakfast to go from a selection of granola bars, bananas, oranges, yogurts, LMNT electrolyte packets, juice, coffee and tea and head for the start.
Once you’ve crossed the finish line, a well-earned recovery awaits at the Four-Star spa. A 60-minute massage combines with a Clean Market IV drip and your choice of cryotherapy, infrared sauna or MLX i3Dome session, making you ready for the next lap in no time.
The Pierre, A Taj Hotel, New York
For spectators who prefer the sidelines, a stay at the Four-Star Pierre puts you a short sprint away from one of the marathon’s most exciting moments, when runners exit Central Park and stream west along Central Park South toward the West Side. Set at Fifth Avenue and 61st Street, the landmark sits just two blocks from Grand Army Plaza, where the home stretch begins.
After a long day of cheering, enjoy dinner at the hotel’s French-Indian restaurant, Perrine, or celebratory drinks at Two E Bar & Lounge.
The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park
Nothing is more essential to a runner than shoes, and Five-Star The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park has teamed up with performance brand APL to help you lace up properly. The Midtown hotel’s APL Run & Recover Marathon Package includes a pair of lightweight Veil sneakers.
Once you and your new shoes have completed your mission, you’ve earned a breather. Late checkout lets you linger over the rest of the package’s perks: a rejuvenating, pain-relieving 60-minute massage at the Four-Star La Prairie spa; Epsom salts for a soak in your room’s tub; electrolyte-packed drinks; and nourishing snacks.
