About The New York City Marathon

Every serious marathon runner dreams of competing in the prestigious New York City Marathon. This highly respected race offers worldwide media attention, prominent world-class athletes and a challenging course that runs through ethically and culturally diverse neighborhoods. The New York City Marathon gives long distance runners a chance to raise money for charity, compete for prize money or to challenge the limits of their athletic ability in this world-famous sporting event.

  1. History

    • The New York City marathon began in 1970 with 127 entrants and a 26.2 mile course that looped through Central Park a number of times. Fifty-five people were able to finish that first race, and the entrance fee was one dollar. About one hundred people watched the event. The marathon continued to grow and in 1976 co-founder Fred Lebow redrew the course so that it wound through all five boroughs of New York City. This attracted more spectators and media attention. It also fostered enthusiasm throughout the city for the race. From these humble beginnings, the New York City Marathon has grown to the largest marathon in the world. It boasts tens of thousands of entrants and over two million spectators every year.

    Features

    • The New York City Marathon is 26.2 miles long and is scheduled annually on the first Sunday in November. The race is eight and one half hours long, and most runners will start at 10:10 in the morning. The race is organized by the New York Road Runners, and it's sponsored by the financial group ING. It features a wheelchair and hand cycle division with over 200 annual participants.

    Geography

    • The course begins at the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge on Staten Island, and it crosses over the New York Bay into Brooklyn. For the next thirteen miles, the course winds north through a variety of neighborhoods, such as Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights and Clinton Hill. At the halfway point, the course continues north across the Pulaski Bridge into Queens for two and a half miles. Next the course turns west to cross the Queensboro Bridge into Manhattan. It continues north through the Upper East Side and crosses into the Bronx for a mile before heading south back into Manhattan. It then proceeds through Harlem into Central Park. Finally, it crosses through the south end of Central Park, and it turns northward briefly to end at Tavern on The Green in the park.

    Considerations

    • Entry into the race is very competitive. Only thirty to forty thousand of the over one hundred thousand yearly applicants are awarded a place in the race. About half of these runners will be American and half will be International. Most places are awarded through lottery, but some individuals will be guaranteed a spot by meeting certain qualifications, like completing fifteen or more other New York City Marathons. If you would like to apply, consult the Website referenced below for current entrant guidelines.

    Benefits

    • The New York City Marathon has become one of the most acclaimed marathons in the world. It is a model for all other modern city marathons. Many world-class athletes compete in this event, and many people have broken records on this course. The sponsors of the New York City Marathon are active in promoting health and fitness, especially among young people, through the "Team ING Run for Something Better."