Bucket List / Fitness Goals / Complete The World Marathon Majors
New York City Marathon
Still to do
Five boroughs, five bridges and the biggest marathon on Earth, finishing among the autumn trees of Central Park.
The adventure
The New York City Marathon begins with one of the most dramatic starts in sport. A cannon fires, Frank Sinatra's New York, New York plays, and tens of thousands of runners stream across the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge with the Manhattan skyline in the distance. From there the race travels through Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Manhattan, each borough adding its own soundtrack.
The most famous moment comes at mile 16. After the quiet climb over the Queensboro Bridge, where there are no spectators, you drop onto First Avenue into a wall of sound from crowds several people deep. Later the course winds back from the Bronx through Harlem, down Fifth Avenue and into Central Park for the final miles, under the autumn leaves to a finish line that ends a race like no other.
Why it’s epic
- It is the world's largest marathon, with more than 55,000 finishers in 2024.
- The course crosses five bridges and runs through all five boroughs.
- The first race, in 1970, was four laps of Central Park with 127 starters and 55 finishers.
- The start on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge is one of the most photographed scenes in running.
What it is
The world’s biggest marathon runs through all five boroughs, starting on Staten Island with a crossing of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge and finishing in Central Park.
How to do it
Enter the ballot, take a charity place, or earn entry through the New York Road Runners 9+1 programme.
Top tip
It’s a long wait in the start village on Staten Island in November, so bring old warm clothes to throw away.
Need to know
- The ballot has long odds, so charity places, tour operators and the NYRR 9+1 programme are common routes in.
- Reaching the Staten Island start means a very early ferry or bus, followed by a long wait in the cold.
- Manhattan hotels on race weekend are expensive and book up early.
Plan this trip
- Rough cost
- £2,000 to £5,000 per person, including flights from the UK
- Time needed
- A week including travel
- Best time to go
- The first Sunday in November
- Fly into
- JFK airport
Transatlantic flights and Manhattan hotel prices on race weekend make this one of the costlier majors.
Make it happen
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Why it’s on my list
Not done yet. If you’ve done it and have tips, tell me about it.
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