NYC Marathon Turns 50 on Nov. 1: 60,000 Runners Through All Five Boroughs

The TCS New York City Marathon reaches its 50th running on Sunday, Nov. 1. Organizer New York Road Runners has framed this year as the 50th anniversary of the five-borough course, and has held events around the city to mark it. More than 60,000 runners from around the world are expected to take part, with more than 2 million spectators forecast along the route.

The race starts at 8 a.m. on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, with waves of runners leaving through the morning. The 26.2-mile course heads through Sunset Park, Park Slope and Williamsburg in Brooklyn, then crosses the Queensboro Bridge into Manhattan and runs along the Upper East Side. It dips briefly into the South Bronx before returning to finish in Central Park. ABC 7 says its live coverage begins at 8 a.m. on Channel 7 and ESPN2.

Race-week events are already running. The marathon expo, presented by New Balance, has opened at the Javits Center, where runners pick up their bibs and race shirts. At Vanderbilt Hall in Grand Central, an interactive installation traces the five boroughs of the course, with a name projection wall daily from noon to 2 p.m. It is open today, Oct. 30, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., and aims to reach 1,976,000 steps over four days.

Security will be heavy. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said there are no known specific or credible threats, but thousands of officers will be posted along the route, backed by drones, dogs, horses, harbor units and helicopters. Spectators entering the designated viewing areas in Central Park face bag searches. Coolers, chairs, umbrellas and oversized bags are prohibited, as are unauthorized drones. The Queens Gazette adds that bulky costumes extending beyond the body are among the restricted items.

Travel will be affected. The upper level of the Verrazzano Bridge closes at 11 p.m. Saturday and the lower level at 7 a.m. Sunday; the Queensboro Bridge closes at 6:30 a.m. Sunday. Bridges reopen once the last runners pass. Officials urge people to use public transit because of rolling street closures.

(Details are drawn from points that agree across reports by Gothamist, ABC7 New York, NY1, Queens Gazette.)