New York Marathon

The New York Marathon, or the TCS New York City Marathon, is an annual 42.195 km (26.2 miles) race traditionally held on the first Sunday of November. It is part of the prestigious “World Marathon Majors.” Every year, more than 50,000 participants, hundreds of thousands of spectators, and thousands of volunteers from around the world come to New York City for this event. One of the largest cities in the United States literally comes alive for the marathon.

History of the New York Marathon

The very first official New York Marathon went largely unnoticed, with only 127 runners participating. It was the brainchild of Fred Lebow, a fashion clothing designer with no direct ties to the sports world. In his spare time, he played tennis and worked on building endurance, which eventually led him to take up running.

The New York Road Runners (NYRR) club used to run every Sunday in the Bronx — at the time considered one of the city’s roughest neighborhoods. Until the 1970s, running in Central Park was uncommon due to safety concerns. In 1969, Lebow joined the club and proposed the idea of running in Central Park. Although the idea was met with skepticism, the runners decided to give it a try.

Photo: 1981 New York Marathon, Fred Lebow

In 1970, the first race was held with a budget of $1,000, funded entirely by registration fees. The winner was Gary Muhrcke, a firefighter, who received $10 and a wristwatch as his prize. During the early years, the marathon was a purely amateur event, despite featuring some legendary athletes.

In 1976, George Spitz suggested changing the course to span almost the entire city. Lebow was skeptical at first but eventually took on the challenge. He personally coordinated with various communities and appointed marshals at different sections of the route. This helped transform local support into a true wall of cheering New Yorkers.

This marked the beginning of a new chapter in the history of one of the world’s most prestigious marathons. Today, tens of thousands of people gather every year to participate or simply witness the event.

Course of the New York Marathon

The 42.195 km route runs through five boroughs of New York City: Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Manhattan.

Runners cross the longest suspension bridge in the United States — the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge — and also traverse the Pulaski, Queensboro, Willis Avenue, and Madison Avenue bridges. Course markers are placed every 1.61 km (1 mile) and every 5 km.

The marathon traditionally starts at the Verrazzano Bridge, more specifically from Fort Wadsworth, where three villages face toward Brooklyn. The course ends in Central Park, Manhattan, on West Drive.

New York’s coastal location doesn’t make the course easy. The terrain is quite uneven and demands high endurance and strength from runners.

Participants are divided into several starting lines and corrals based on previous results and estimated finish time provided at registration. Each participant’s bib shows their assigned corral and wave. Starting from a slower corral is allowed.

Unlike many marathons, the time limit is generous — runners are given 6 hours and 30 minutes to finish after the last wave starts.

When is the New York Marathon Held?

The marathon traditionally takes place on the first Sunday in November, so the exact date changes each year. It was canceled in 2012 out of solidarity with Hurricane Sandy victims and again in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In early November, New York weather is usually mild and ideal for long-distance running. Extreme cold or heat is rare during the fall season.

How to Get into the New York Marathon?

Registration for the New York Marathon can be done in several ways:

1. Lottery Entry

The marathon organizers conduct an annual lottery that thousands from around the world enter. While the odds of being selected are low, it’s one of the most common ways to get a race slot.

• Runners must register during a specific window on the official marathon website.
• A small entry fee may apply for the lottery itself. Marathon registration fees are separate and only charged if selected.
• After registration closes, participants are randomly selected.
• Results are sent via email, and selected runners must confirm their entry and pay the marathon fee within a given deadline.

2. Charity Entry

Only donations to specific approved organizations count. The full list is available at https://www.nyrr.org/tcsnycmarathon/runners/charities. Charity registration usually opens in March.

3. Official Tour Operator Packages

Packages can be purchased through official international tour operators. The list of agencies is available only on the official website: https://www.nyrr.org/tcsnycmarathon/runners/international-tour-operators.

4. Qualifying Time

This option is available to fast runners who have posted strong times in previous official marathons or half marathons. Races must fall within the qualifying window from January 1 to December 31.

For TCS New York Marathon 2024, the application period ran from February 28 to March 21, 2024. The lottery drawing took place on March 28, 2024. All up-to-date information is available at https://www.nyrr.org.

Marathon and Half Marathon Qualification Standards

Who Is Guaranteed Entry:

• Runners who complete 9 NYRR qualifying races and 1 volunteer event in a calendar year (9+1 program)
• Runners who have completed 15 or more New York Marathons
• Runners who officially canceled their participation this year according to NYRR rules and wish to defer to next year

Registration fees are paid upon acceptance. The fee is $295 for U.S. residents and $358 for international participants. Organizers reserve the right to change the fees.

The entry package includes transportation from several city points, race gear, and a thermal wrap at the finish. Packets must be picked up in person and can be scheduled in advance.

Photo: 2023 Winner: Tamirat Tola

All Winners of the New York Marathon

The table lists all the winners of the New York City Marathon in the men’s and women’s categories.

Year	Men	Time	Country	Women	Time	Country
1970	Gary Muhrcke	2:31:38	USA	–	–	–
1971	Norman Higgins	2:22:54	USA	Beth Bonner	2:55:22	USA
1972	Sheldon Karlin	2:27:52	USA	Nina Kuscsik	3:08:41	USA
1973	Tom Fleming	2:21:54	USA	Nina Kuscsik	2:57:07	USA
1974	Norbert Sander	2:26:30	USA	Kathrine Switzer	3:07:29	USA
1975	Tom Fleming	2:19:27	USA	Kim Merritt	2:46:14	USA
1976	Bill Rodgers	2:10:10	USA	Miki Gorman	2:39:11	USA
1977	Bill Rodgers	2:11:28	USA	Miki Gorman	2:43:10	USA
1978	Bill Rodgers	2:12:12	USA	Grete Waitz	2:32:30	Norway
1979	Bill Rodgers	2:11:42	USA	Grete Waitz	2:27:33	Norway
1980	Alberto Salazar	2:09:41	USA	Grete Waitz	2:25:42	Norway
1981	Alberto Salazar	2:08:13	USA	Allison Roe	2:25:29	New Zealand
1982	Alberto Salazar	2:09:29	USA	Grete Waitz	2:27:14	Norway
1983	Rod Dixon	2:08:59	New Zealand	Grete Waitz	2:27:00	Norway
1984	Orlando Pizzolato	2:14:53	Italy	Grete Waitz	2:29:30	Norway
1985	Orlando Pizzolato	2:11:34	Italy	Grete Waitz	2:28:34	Norway
1986	Gianni Poli	2:11:06	Italy	Grete Waitz	2:28:06	Norway
1987	Ibrahim Hussein	2:11:01	Kenya	Priscilla Welch	2:30:17	Great Britain
1988	Steve Jones	2:08:20	Great Britain	Grete Waitz	2:28:07	Norway
1989	Juma Ikangaa	2:08:01	Tanzania	Ingrid Kristiansen	2:25:30	Norway
1990	Douglas Wakiihuri	2:12:39	Kenya	Wanda Panfil	2:30:45	Poland
1991	Salvador García	2:09:28	Mexico	Liz McColgan	2:27:32	Great Britain
1992	Willie Mtolo	2:09:29	South Africa	Lisa Ondieki	2:24:40	Australia
1993	Andrés Espinosa	2:10:04	Mexico	Uta Pippig	2:26:24	Germany
1994	Germán Silva	2:11:21	Mexico	Tegla Loroupe	2:27:37	Kenya
1995	Germán Silva	2:11:00	Mexico	Tegla Loroupe	2:28:06	Kenya
1996	Giacomo Leone	2:09:54	Italy	Anuța Cătună	2:28:18	Romania
1997	John Kagwe	2:08:12	Kenya	Franziska Rochat-Moser	2:28:43	Switzerland
1998	John Kagwe	2:08:45	Kenya	Franca Fiacconi	2:25:17	Italy
1999	Joseph Chebet	2:09:14	Kenya	Adriana Fernández	2:25:06	Mexico
2000	Abdelkader El Mouaziz	2:10:09	Morocco	Lyudmila Petrova	2:25:45	Russia
2001	Tesfaye Jifar	2:07:43	Ethiopia	Margaret Okayo	2:24:21	Kenya
2002	Rodgers Rop	2:08:07	Kenya	Joyce Chepchumba	2:25:56	Kenya
2003	Martin Lel	2:10:30	Kenya	Margaret Okayo	2:22:31	Kenya
2004	Hendrick Ramaala	2:09:28	South Africa	Paula Radcliffe	2:23:10	Great Britain
2005	Paul Tergat	2:09:30	Kenya	Jelena Prokopcuka	2:24:41	Latvia
2006	Marílson dos Santos	2:09:58	Brazil	Jelena Prokopcuka	2:25:05	Latvia
2007	Martin Lel	2:09:04	Kenya	Paula Radcliffe	2:23:09	Great Britain
2008	Marílson dos Santos	2:08:43	Brazil	Paula Radcliffe	2:23:56	Great Britain
2009	Meb Keflezighi	2:09:15	USA	Derartu Tulu	2:28:52	Ethiopia
2010	Gebregziabher Gebremariam	2:08:14	Ethiopia	Edna Kiplagat	2:28:20	Kenya
2011	Geoffrey Mutai	2:05:06	Kenya	Firehiwot Dado	2:23:15	Ethiopia
2013	Geoffrey Mutai	2:08:24	Kenya	Priscah Jeptoo	2:25:07	Kenya
2014	Wilson Kipsang	2:10:59	Kenya	Mary Keitany	2:25:07	Kenya
2015	Stanley Biwott	2:10:34	Kenya	Mary Keitany	2:24:25	Kenya
2016	Ghirmay Ghebreslassie	2:07:51	Eritrea	Mary Keitany	2:24:26	Kenya
2017	Geoffrey Kamworor	2:10:53	Kenya	Shalane Flanagan	2:26:53	USA
2018	Lelisa Desisa	2:05:59	Ethiopia	Mary Keitany	2:22:48	Kenya
2019	Geoffrey Kamworor	2:08:13	Kenya	Joyciline Jepkosgei	2:22:38	Kenya
2021	Albert Korir	2:08:22	Kenya	Peres Jepchirchir	2:22:38	Kenya
2022	Evans Chebet	2:08:41	Kenya	Sharon Lokedi	2:23:23	Kenya
2023	Tamirat Tola	2:04:58	Ethiopia	Hellen Obiri	2:27:23	Kenya