With roughly 60,000 runners slated to line up Sunday, the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon blends historic scale with a subtle course tweak and near‑perfect fall weather.
Key points
- Around 60,000 runners, nearly half women, will start the 2026 marathon.
- A new Bronx routing reduces turns from seven to five, easing street closures.
- Cool, dry conditions with temperatures from the upper 40s to low 60s are expected.
- Live TV coverage is on WABC‑TV locally and ESPN2 nationally, with a Spanish stream on ESPN3.
Fifty years after the race first spanned all five boroughs, the 2026 edition will see about 60,000 participants, almost half of them women, making it one of the deepest fields in marathon history, according to ABC7NY.
The 26.2‑mile course still starts on Staten Island, crosses the Verrazzano‑Narrows Bridge, and weaves through Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Manhattan before finishing in Central Park. For the first time in 15 years, organizers have altered the Bronx segment at mile 20, trimming the number of turns from seven to five and easing street closures in that area.
Course update cuts Bronx turns
Spectators can tune in to pre‑race coverage on WABC‑TV Channel 7 at 7:00 a.m. ET, with live race coverage from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. ET. Nationally, ESPN2 will broadcast the event from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. ET, and a Spanish feed will be available on ESPN3 via the ESPN app.
AccuWeather predicts a classic fall marathon day: temperatures in the upper 40s at the start, rising into the 50s, and reaching the low 60s by early afternoon, with light winds throughout. Runners and fans alike are advised to dress in layers for the chilly start.
Cool fall weather favors fast times
Beyond the main race, the weekend includes the Abbott Dash 5K warm‑up, a pre‑marathon run that finishes in Central Park, and a New Balance giveaway of more than 400 shoes to NYC school students. Eyewitness News anchors Liz Cho and Mike Marza will run the marathon to raise money for the Alzheimer's Association, while 25‑year‑old runner Jessica Reilly shares her story after learning she carries the BRCA‑1 mutation.
Reader questions
What time does the 2026 NYC Marathon start?
Pre‑race coverage begins at 7:00 a.m. ET, and the race itself starts at 8:00 a.m. ET.
Where does the marathon finish?
The finish line is located in Central Park, Manhattan.
How can I watch the marathon live?
Locally, the race airs on WABC‑TV Channel 7. Nationally, ESPN2 carries live coverage, and a Spanish version streams on ESPN3 via the ESPN app.
Source: abc7ny.com
