TCS New York City Marathon Marks 50 Years of the Five-Borough Course on Nov. 1

The TCS New York City Marathon takes place on Sunday, Nov. 1, and this year marks 50 years since the current five-borough course was first run in 1976. That race, held to celebrate the nation's Bicentennial and lift the city's spirits, was also the first to feature a professional field. New York Road Runners (NYRR) organizes the event. The route runs 26.2 miles from Staten Island to Central Park, with nearly 60,000 participants and more than 2 million spectators expected. Last year's race set an event record for the second year in a row, with 59,219 finishers. Watching from the course is free.

The professional field is set. Defending women's champion Hellen Obiri of Kenya broke the 22-year-old course record last year, and Benson Kipruto of Kenya won the men's race by less than a second, the closest in event history. Marcel Hug of Switzerland returns after a record seventh wheelchair title. For the anniversary, NYRR has invited past champions to race-week festivities, including 1976 men's winner Bill Rodgers and Danielle Mika Nagel, daughter of 1976 women's winner Miki Gorman. Finishers will receive a special commemorative medal.

Race week has its own programming. At Grand Central's Vanderbilt Hall, an interactive display walks visitors through all five boroughs along the route, with a DJ, a projected name wall and giveaways. It runs through Friday, Oct. 30, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. On Oct. 31, the Abbott Dash 5K takes place the day before the marathon.

Shake Shack, the official burger of the marathon for a third year, is running its Bibs for Burgers program. Runners can claim a free ShackBurger at Shacks nationwide from Nov. 1 to 7, except at airports and stadiums. On Nov. 1, from noon to 4 p.m., the 1700 Broadway Shake Shack, just south of Central Park, hosts live music, a photo booth and limited-edition T-shirts for runners. The original Madison Square Park Shack repeats the celebration on Nov. 2 from noon to 3 p.m.

For Japanese readers, RunJapan is listed as the race's registration partner.