This Sunday, runners will lace up their sneakers and take on the annual TCS New York City Marathon.
The TCS New York City Marathon is the largest marathon in the world, and this will be the 50th running of this huge race. Hosted by the New York Road Runners, the race will kick off at 8 a.m. on Nov. 7.
“This will be an unprecedented and historic year for the TCS New York City Marathon as one of the most iconic New York sporting events makes its return,” said Ted Metellus, Race Director, TCS New York City Marathon. “As we stage a safe and memorable race for the 50th running, this year’s marathon will showcase our great city’s strength, inspiration, and determination.”
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual marathon was canceled last year. Runners registered for the 2020 race were provided the option to receive a full refund of their entry fee or a guaranteed complimentary entry for the 2021, 2022, or 2023 New York City Marathon.
This year’s race is expected to draw in 33,000 runners of all ages and abilities who will go head to head across 26.2 miles of the five boroughs. The runners will start in Staten Island, cross the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge into Brooklyn and then run through Brooklyn and Queens before going into Manhattan. After heading up through the Bronx, the runners will head back down to Central Park, where the race will conclude.
To establish social distancing at the marathon and reduce density at the start and finish, a controllable and scalable time-trial start format will be utilized instead of single mass gathering starts. To adapt to this new format, an extended period of time will be needed with the first wave starting an hour earlier, and later waves extending two hours later.
Several runners have opted to participate in the Virtual TCS New York City Marathon Powered by Strava, which officially began on Oct. 23. The virtual race, which draws in runners from all over the world, will continue through Nov. 7.
New Yorkers are welcome to watch the race from the sidelines. For those who want to watch from home, local coverage will begin at 7 a.m. with race coverage on WABC-TV and ESPN2 at 8:30 a.m.
Click here to see the full course map. For more information, visit nyrr.org.
