New York City Marathon

The New York City Marathon, currently branded as the TCS New York City Marathon for sponsorship reasons, is an annual marathon (42.195 km or 26.219 mi) that courses through the five boroughs of New York City, United States. It is the largest marathon in the world, with 59,135 finishers in 2025 and over 200,000 applicants for the 2025 race. Along with the Boston Marathon and Chicago Marathon, it is among the pre-eminent long-distance annual running events in the United States, and one of the Abbott World Marathon Majors. The race is organized by New York Road Runners and has been run every year since 1970, with the exception of 2012, when it was cancelled due to the landfall of Hurricane Sandy, and 2020, when it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The race is held on the first Sunday of November and attracts professional competitors and amateurs from all over the world. Because of the popularity of the race, participation is chosen largely by a lottery system. The lottery is conducted through drawing from three pools, "NYC Metro Area" applicants, "National" applicants, and "International" applicants. In 2025, there were more than 200,000 applications, and only 2-3% will be accepted. Guaranteed entry to the marathon can be gained by satisfying the requirements of the 9+1 program (where NYRR members run in nine sponsored races and volunteer at another event), becoming a NYRR Philanthropic Member at the 5K and 10K level, having completed 15 or more previous NYC Marathons, or meeting time qualification standards. In addition, runners can gain an entry by joining a team to raise funds for one of a number of charities.