NYC Marathon runs its 55th edition Sunday with nearly 60,000 runners
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The gist
The 55th New York City Marathon starts Sunday, Nov. 1, with nearly 60,000 runners and Benson Kipruto defending.
The race marks 50 years since the course first crossed all five boroughs.
Background
The New York City Marathon is an annual race organized by New York Road Runners (NYRR), the city's running organization. The 2026 edition is the 55th running and comes 50 years after the race first took on all five boroughs. Kenyan runner Benson Kipruto, the defending men's champion, arrives with the fastest personal best in the field at 2:02:16, while fellow Kenyan Hellen Obiri, the defending women's champion, set the women's course record of 2:19:51 in 2025. Kipruto won last year in 2:08:09, beating Alexander Mutiso by three hundredths of a second in the closest finish in the race's history.
How it unfolded
- Oct 17, 2026FloTrack publishes the full elite entries, listing Benson Kipruto (Kenya, 2:02:16) and Deresa Geleta (Ethiopia, 2:02:38) atop the men's field.
- Oct 21, 2026Playbill reports Broadway performers including Patina Miller, Jordan Litz and Erika Henningsen will run the marathon, along with Broadway electrician Brianna Messina.
- Oct 22, 2026Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani announces New York City will give away 350 free tickets to the marathon Grandstand at the finish line.
- Oct 27, 2026 -30, 2026NYRR brings a free interactive marathon experience to Vanderbilt Hall at Grand Central Terminal, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the five-borough course.
- Oct 30, 2026Peloton and NYRR host a shakeout run in Central Park with Matt Wilpers, Mariana Fernández and Zacharias Niedzwiecki, starting at 7:00pm near Tavern on the Green.
- Nov 1, 2026Race day: start at Fort Wadsworth, Staten Island, finish in Central Park near Tavern on the Green; professional starts at 8:35 a.m. (women) and 9:05 a.m. ET (men), with nearly 60,000 runners and more than 2 million spectators expected.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- Mayor Mamdani said the city is giving away 350 free Grandstand tickets so New Yorkers get a front-row seat to the finish line.
- Organizers
- Marathon Handbook notes the course crosses five bridges and changes in the Bronx for the first time in 15 years.
- Caution
- Peloton Buddy says the cheer zone's location and hours have not been confirmed yet.
Still unverified
Peloton Buddy says the Peloton Marathon Day Cheer Zone's location and hours have not been confirmed, and details are still to come for 'Medal Mondays at Peloton Studios' after the race.