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The 2024 NYC Marathon is finally happening this weekend, kicking off on Sunday, November 3, at 8am on Staten Island.
As is the case every year, the city is buzzing with excitement (especially since it's also Halloween weekend!), with businesses all around town offering free and discounted goodies to runners in celebration of their respective feats of athleticism.
Whether watching the runners along the route or participating in the race, you're going to want to keep this little guide handy when searching for information about the legendary marathon.
Two more things to keep in mind, while we're at it: officials have banned morning cyclists on the race route this year, so if you were considering partaking in the beloved tradition you might want to change your plans.
Also, given the massive route, you are bound to be affected by Sunday’s marathon road closures across all five boroughs. Here is a list of all of them.
When is the 2024 NYC Marathon?
This year's NYC Marathon is taking place on Sunday, November 3.
What time does the NYC Marathon start?
The NYC Marathon will kick off at 8am in Staten Island, taking participants through Brooklyn via the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, onto Queens and then Manhattan. The run's official finish time is at 10pm.
How many miles is the NYC Marathon?
Traversing all five boroughs, the marathon spans a whopping 26.2 miles in total that wrap up at Central Park.
Route map
As seen in the official marathon route, runners start their journey in Staten Island, proceeding to Brooklyn and visiting Dyker Heights, Bay Ridge, Sunset Park, Park Slope, Downtown Brooklyn, Clinton Hill, Williamsburg and Greenpoint.
They then run through Queens' Long Island City before heading into the Upper East Side of Manhattan and reaching the Bronx, where they loop back down towards Central Park, where the race officially concludes.
How to track runners
Have a friend or family member running the marathon and want to track their progress? All you need is the TCS New York City Marathon app—available for free on Apple and Android devices right here.
Input the runner's name or bib number and you'll automatically be privy to his or her location. You can even sign up to get push notifications as they reach checkpoints throughout the route.
Runners themselves can even use the "share tracking" function to send direct tracking links to their fans.
Tracking more than a single club participant? Use the running club search option to find them all in a single place.
There's more: the app will livestream five locations throughout the route, so you can catch the runners in real time: at the start and end of the race, on Fourth Avenue in Brooklyn, on First Avenue in Manhattan and at mile 20 in the Bronx, relatively close to the finish line.
And if apps just aren't your thing, opt to track runners online right here instead.
What percentage of runners finish?
According to New York Road Runners, the official organizers of the marathon, 98.9% of participants finished the race last year.
The impressive completion rate was actually the third-highest in the history of the race—and the world's largest in 2023.
What's the weather looking like?
Runners and spectators alike are in luck: the weather is looking awesome for this Sunday!
According to meteorologists, we can expect clear skies and highs in the low-to-mid 60s. Perhaps bring a sweater along with you?