NYC Marathon 2026: Date, start time, route, how to watch and everything you need to know about the prestigious race

On Sunday, over two million fans will line up on the streets of New York City to support the roughly 60,000 runners in the 2026 NYC Marathon. The action gets underway at 8 a.m. ET.This year will mark the 56th time the race has taken place. After winning the event for the second time last year, women's champ Hellen Obiri will go for her third NYC Marathon win. On the men's side Benson Kipruto will look to become the first man to go back-to-back at the event since Geoffery Mutai did it in 2011 and 2013 (the 2012 NYC Marathon was canceled due to Hurricane Sandy).With the event fast approaching, here's everything you need to know about the 2026 NYC Marathon.When is the NYC Marathon 2026?The 2026 NYC Marathon will take place Sunday, Nov. 1. The first batch of competitors will start at 8 a.m. ET. When the race first started in 1970, it was run in September. But that shifted in 1976, when the NYC Marathon was shifted to late October. Ten years later, the marathon was moved to the first Sunday in November. It's remained on that schedule since 1986. NYC Marathon 2026 start timeThe men's professional wheelchair division will kick things off at 8 a.m. ET. They'll be followed by the women's professional wheelchair division at 8:02 a.m. ET and then the handcycles and select athletes with disabilities group at 8:22 a.m. ET.At 8:35 a.m. ET, the professional women's division will begin. A half hour later, the professional men will take the course.Starting at 9:10 a.m. ET, the first wave of runners will take the course. Every 35 minutes after that, another wave will be released, with the last one starting at 11:30 a.m. ET.NYC Marathon 2026 routeThis year will mark the first time in 15 years that the NYC Marathon course has changed. As usual, the race will start in Staten Island and will run through all five boroughs of New York. The biggest adjustment this year will come after runners cross the Willis Avenue Bridge, which connects Manhattan to the Bronx. At that point, the course will diverge slightly before runners wind up back on track at the Madison Avenue Bridge. It's not a massive change, but one that was made to "minimize the race's impacts on the Bronx," per NYRR.org.NYC Marathon winnersAll eyes will be on Obiri and Kipruto in 2026. The defending champs will draw the most attention heading into the event, though a number of other contenders could give them a run for their money in 2026. With a win, Obiri would take first in the race for the third time. Only three other women have won the NYC Marathon three times. Obiri did set the course record last year, so she's in a good spot to be in contention once again.Kipruto narrowly took home the crown last year, with the race going to a photo finish. It was ultimately determined he finished ahead of Alexander Mutiso Munyao for the win. If Kiputo can win the event again in 2026, he would become the seventh man to win consecutive NYC Marathons. NYC Marathon 2026 weatherIt should be a lovely day for a marathon Sunday in New York City. The skies are expected to be partly cloudy for the event, with a high of 61 degrees. Sounds like the perfect day for a long run. How to watch the 2026 NYC Marathon?If you can't attend the event in person, you're in luck. The 2026 NYC Marathon will be available to watch in a few different spots. Locally, the race will be broadcast on ABC7 from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Nationally, the event will air on ESPN2 during that same window. Spanish coverage can be found on ESPN3.Later in the day, ABC will run a two-hour live show from the finish line that will show runners finishing the race. That will take place between 3 and 5 p.m. ET.