New York City Marathon Draws Runners and Crowds Across Five Boroughs

The New York City Marathon began on November 1 in cool, partly cloudy weather, with roughly 60,000 runners expected to take on the 26.2-mile course. The race started on Staten Island, crossed the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge and continued through Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan and the Bronx before its finish near 67th Street in Central Park. The five-borough route is marking its 50th anniversary, and about two million spectators were expected along the way.

The event began with the professional wheelchair divisions, followed by handcyclists and athletes with disabilities, then the professional women’s and men’s races. Five further groups of runners were scheduled to start between about 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Defending champions Hellen Obiri and Benson Kipruto returned after winning the women’s and men’s races in 2025. Swedish half-marathon world champion Andreas Almgren was making his full-marathon debut, while American record-holder Conner Mantz was also among the entrants.

Spectators gathered in neighborhoods along the course, including Bay Ridge and Manhattan’s First Avenue. Some came to support first-time runners, while others cheered for a runner taking part after training through stage-four breast cancer treatment, or surprised a teacher running to raise money for cystic fibrosis. After crossing the Queensboro Bridge, runners faced the loud First Avenue crowds before heading to the Bronx and returning to Manhattan for the finish. Major bridge and road closures were in place for the race.