NYC Marathon 2026 Spectator Guide: Where to Watch, Which Subway to Take and How to Reach the Finish

The TCS New York City Marathon runs on Sunday, November 1. The course starts on Staten Island and crosses Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx before finishing in Central Park. This year marks 50 years since runners first took the five-borough route, on October 24, 1976. The 2025 race had 59,226 finishers, making it one of the largest marathons in the world. Watching is free, and according to organizer New York Road Runners (NYRR), most of the course is open to spectators from mile 3 to mile 26.

Where you can't watch

There is no spectator viewing at the start on Staten Island or on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, and spectators aren't allowed on any of the bridges on the course. The Pulaski Bridge between Brooklyn and Queens (mile 13.1, the halfway mark) is closed to spectators too, so many fans cheer on the Queens side, just past it.

The best spots to cheer, and the subway to get there

NYRR's recommended viewing locations:

Fourth Avenue, Brooklyn (miles 2–4): runners coming off the Verrazzano. Subway: R. Fourth Avenue and Flatbush Avenue (mile 8): B, D, N, Q, R, 2, 3, 4, 5. Williamsburg and Greenpoint (miles 10–13): sidewalks lined with shops and restaurants. G, L, M, J. Pulaski Bridge, Queens side (mile 13.1): 7, G, E.

First Avenue, Manhattan (miles 16–18): the loudest stretch, with bars and restaurants all along the avenue. N, Q, R, 4, 5, 6, F. East Harlem (miles 18–20): 6. Charity Cheer Zone, First Avenue and 120th Street (miles 19–20): 6. Fifth Avenue, East 90th to East 105th Streets (miles 23–24), right before the runners enter Central Park: Q, 4, 5, 6. Columbus Circle: A, C, D, 1.

With the subway you can catch the same runner twice, once in Brooklyn and again in Manhattan. Check mta.info before you travel.

Getting to the finish in Central Park

The race finishes at 67th Street on West Drive. There are two ways to see the final approach. Grandstand seating requires a ticket (enter at West 62nd Street and Broadway). The standing spectator area runs inside the park from Columbus Circle to the south end of the grandstands, about 500 feet before the finish; access may be limited based on capacity, and chairs aren't allowed. There is no spectator access north of the grandstands. Enter at Broadway and West 61st Street, or from the east side via the path by Heckscher Fields. All entrances require screening.

Spectator rules

Stay behind the blue tape or barricades and keep the roadway open for runners. Signs and flags are welcome; speakers are not. Drones are banned. The portable toilets along the course are for registered runners only. Anyone without an official bib may not run alongside a participant, and bikes and skateboards aren't allowed on the course.

To cross the course, use the designated pedestrian crossing zones: Lafayette Avenue and Fulton Street, and Bedford Avenue and Broadway in Brooklyn; First Avenue at 69th, 72nd, 83rd and 86th Streets in Manhattan.

Good to know

The Bronx section changes this year, for the first time in 15 years. After the Willis Avenue Bridge, runners turn onto East 141st Street instead of East 138th, then take Third Avenue back to East 138th Street and the Madison Avenue Bridge.

Race day is also the end of daylight saving time: clocks go back one hour at 2 a.m. on November 1, so double-check meeting times.

Track runners on the official New York Road Runners app. If you can't be there, WABC-TV Channel 7 carries the race live from 8 to 11:30 a.m. ET in New York, and ESPN2 nationally.

Race-day emergency hotline, for example if you see a runner who needs medical help: 866-705-6626.