Thousands Participate in 2026 New York City Marathon

Tens of thousands of runners worldwide are participating in the 2026 New York City Marathon. This iconic race spans all five boroughs, starting in Staten Island and ending in Central Park, Manhattan. The marathon covers 26.2 miles, drawing large crowds annually to cheer for both loved ones and strangers.

Participants begin the race in waves. The marathon commenced at Fort Wadsworth with the men’s and women’s professional wheelchair divisions at about 8 a.m. ET. They were followed by handcyclists, select athletes with disabilities, and the professional women’s and men’s open divisions. Five separate runner waves then began the race at intervals between 9 and 11:30 a.m.

This year, Kenyan long-distance champions Hellen Obiri and Benson Kipruto returned as defending champions. Obiri and Kipruto had previously won the women’s and men’s divisions in 2025. Joining them was Swedish runner Andreas Almgren, the World Half Marathon champion, making his debut in the full marathon. American marathon record-holder Conner Mantz also participated. Mantz achieved this record by completing the Chicago Marathon in 2 hours, 4 minutes, and 43 seconds the previous year.

Volunteers provided water at Alexander Avenue in the Bronx during the event. The New York Road Runners offer a live tracker for real-time updates on runners’ progress. Complete results and the list of winners will be available once the race concludes.

The marathon route begins in Staten Island, crossing the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge into Brooklyn, then proceeding through Queens, Manhattan, and the Bronx before finishing in Central Park, Manhattan. Several streets and bridges are closed on race day.