A record 60,000 runners are hitting the streets this Sunday for the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon, marking the 50th anniversary of the iconic five-borough course. The race, which covers 26.2 miles from Staten Island to Central Park, features a modified route through the Bronx for the first time in 15 years.
Celebrating Five Decades of Racing
The marathon has evolved from a local event into one of the world’s premier sporting spectacles. The original five-borough course was inaugurated on October 24, 1976, when 2,090 runners started in Staten Island and 1,549 finished near Tavern on the Green, infobae.com reported. Back then, entry fees were just $5. This year, the field has grown to include participants from 140 countries, reflecting the event’s massive global expansion over the last half-century.
Adjustments to the Bronx Route
Organizers have implemented changes to the Bronx segment of the course this year. This marks the first time in 15 years that the route has been modified in that borough. The adjustment aims to reduce disruptions for local residents and businesses while maintaining the integrity of the 42.195-kilometer trek.
2026 TCS New York City Marathon Pro Field Update: Sifan Hassan (NED) has scratched due to a setback in training and Fiona O'Keeffe (USA) has scratched due to injury.Updated fields here: https://t.co/ReLaeokyLr
— https://x.com/nyrrnews/status/2110422304677155261
Leading Contenders to Watch
The men’s field is headlined by Benson Kipruto, who enters as the defending champion. Kipruto, who holds a personal best of 2:02:16 from his 2024 Tokyo Marathon win, edged out training partner Alexander Mutiso by just three hundredths of a second in last year’s finish. Other notable competitors include former champions Abdi Nageeye and Geoffrey Kamworor, alongside Andreas Almgren, who is set for his distance debut.
On the women’s side, Hellen Obiri returns to the city where she won the New York City Half Marathon in March. She faces stiff competition from Sheila Chepkirui, who broke Obiri’s local winning streak in 2024. Edna Kiplagat, the 2010 champion, also joins the starting lineup. Notably, Olympic marathon champion Sifan Hassan withdrew due to a lack of preparation following an illness, and Fiona O’Keeffe is sidelined with a hamstring injury.
Broadcast and Tracking Details
Professional wheelchair divisions lead the start, with the men’s race beginning at 8:00 a.m. and the women’s at 8:02 a.m. (ET). The professional women’s open division starts at 8:35 a.m., followed by the men’s at 9:05 a.m. and five subsequent waves of mass participation runners.
National television coverage is provided by ESPN2 starting at 8:00 a.m., with additional streaming options available via the ABC 7 New York app and website. Fans can monitor individual athlete progress in real-time through the official NYRR Live Results portal.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the prize purses for the top finishers? The open division offers $100,000 for the winner, with prizes scaling down to $2,000 for tenth place.
Where is the best place to view the race in person? Spectators can position themselves along the course from the 3-mile mark through the 26-mile finish line. There are also designated grandstands located at the intersection of Broadway and West 62nd Street.
Why was the Bronx route changed? The route modification, the first in 15 years, was designed specifically to minimize impact on local commerce and neighborhood activity in the Bronx, as reported by spectrumnoticias.com.