The New York City Marathon in 2026: where to watch, how to track a runner, and how to get around

• Race day Sun, Nov 1 (official)
• First start 8:00 a.m. wheelchair; waves 9:10 to 11:30
• Tracking NYRR App
• Spectating Open ~mile 3 to finish; none on the bridge
• MTA plan, closures Not announced yet
• Broadcast Not announced yet

What is confirmed, and what is not

New York Road Runners lists the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon for Sunday, November 1, 2026 (checked September 2026). NYRR's pages did not load for us directly, so the details below are NYRR text as it appeared in search results; where a page did not say which year it covers, we say so. NYRR says the majority of the course is open to spectators from mile 3 to mile 26, free, with no spectating at the start or on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. It says runners can buy 2026 grandstand tickets and that more details are coming. Anything labelled last year's is the 2025 race, run Sunday, November 2, 2025.

The course by borough, and where to stand

The route crosses the Verrazzano into Brooklyn, the Pulaski Bridge into Queens, the Queensboro Bridge onto First Avenue, the Willis Avenue Bridge into the Bronx, the Madison Avenue Bridge back into Manhattan, and then down Fifth Avenue to Central Park, per CBS New York's 2025 route map. The 2026 course has not been published. Our advice, not the operator's: to see one runner twice, pair Fourth Avenue in Brooklyn with First Avenue in Manhattan or Fifth Avenue, because the subway beats the street, and give yourself well over an hour between spots.

Tracking a runner

NYRR's official NYRR App tracks registered runners by name or bib number and carries an interactive spectator guide, per NYRR. It is free on the App Store and Google Play. Use the splits to estimate when a runner will reach you, not to time your arrival to the minute (our advice). Set the runner's bib number the night before and check which wave they are in: a wave 5 runner starts at 11:30 a.m. and is not at mile 8 until after noon.

The finish area, and who can enter it

The finish line is in Central Park at West Drive and West 67th Street, near Tavern on the Green. NYRR describes a Standing Spectator Area inside the park from Columbus Circle to the south end of the grandstands, about 500 feet before the finish. NYPD, NYRR and the Parks Department may limit access at times based on capacity, and no chairs are provided or allowed. Spectators entered at Broadway at West 61st or 62nd Street or from the east side by the path at Heckscher Fields in past years. Grandstand seating is ticketed and entered at West 62nd Street and Broadway; 2026 prices and details have not been posted.

Closures and the MTA

In 2025 MTA Bridges and Tunnels, with the NYPD, closed the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge to all non-emergency traffic from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on race day. The upper level closed in both directions from 11 p.m. Saturday, and the Bay Street and Lily Pond Avenue exits on Staten Island closed from 3 a.m. until about 4 p.m., per the MTA. CBS New York's list of 2025 bridge closures also named the Pulaski, Queensboro, Willis Avenue and Madison Avenue bridges, and the NYPD said streets would close in all five boroughs. The MTA diverted buses away from the route and deployed extra staff to stations around the start, the finish and popular viewing points. The 2026 plan and closure list have not been published; check mta.info and the NYPD's marathon traffic advisory the week of.

Bags, weather and practical tips

Bags. NYRR says spectators in the standing area and the grandstands are subject to bag inspection and suggests one bag per guest, no larger than a woman's purse; chairs are not allowed in the finish area. The rule for the rest of the course is not stated, so travel light. Weather. Dress for standing still outdoors for a couple of hours: layers, a hat, and shoes you can stand in. There is no forecast this far out. Bathrooms. We found no NYRR guidance on public restrooms along the course, so plan around a cafe or a station before you take your spot (our advice). Kids. Our advice: pick a spot near a station so you can leave when the crowd thins, and avoid First Avenue, the most crowded stretch.

Watching at home

In 2025 the race aired on WABC-TV (Channel 7) from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. with pre-race coverage from 7 a.m., and nationally on ESPN2 and the ESPN App from 8 to 11:30 a.m., per ABC7 and ESPN. The 2026 broadcast schedule is not announced yet.

• Fourth Avenue and Flatbush, Brooklyn (mile 8)

  The most reliable big-crowd spot for the mass field: a transit hub with half the subway lines in Brooklyn, plus cafes. You see runners at their strongest.

  What to know: NYRR lists B, D, N, Q, R, 2, 3, 4 and 5 here. Arrive by 9 a.m. for the first wave; the pro field passes earlier.

  NYRR: watch the race

• Williamsburg or Greenpoint (miles 10 to 13)

  Narrower streets and a louder, more local crowd than First Avenue, with the G, L, M and J close by.

  What to know: The Pulaski Bridge itself is closed to spectators, so stand on either side of it, not on it.

• First Avenue, Manhattan (miles 16 to 18)

  The famous wall of sound after the Queensboro Bridge. It is also the most crowded stretch, so a spot a few blocks north gives you more room.

  What to know: NYRR lists N, Q, R, 4, 5, 6 and F near this stretch.

• Fifth Avenue, East 90th to 105th Streets (miles 23 to 24)

  The last stretch before Central Park, with runners who need the shout most and a shorter walk to the finish area afterward.

  What to know: NYRR lists the Q and the 4, 5, 6 here.