The final Abbott World Marathon Major of 2026 promises a landmark occasion as almost 60,000 runners take to the streets for the TCS New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 1.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the race first travelling through all five of the city’s boroughs, with runners making their way from Staten Island to the finish line in Central Park.
Among them will be defending champions Hellen Obiri and Benson Kipruto, who produced two memorable victories 12 months ago.
And there will be plenty of British interest too, led by Patrick Dever, who returns after a superb marathon debut in New York last year.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the race.
New York City Marathon 2026 start times
The 2026 New York City Marathon takes place on Sunday, November 1, with the professional wheelchair races starting first, followed by the elite women and men.
The United States changes its clocks on race morning, meaning New York will be five hours behind the UK by the time the action begins.
| Race | New York time | UK time |
|---|---|---|
| Professional men’s wheelchair | 8:00am | 1:00pm |
| Professional women’s wheelchair | 8:02am | 1:02pm |
| Professional women | 8:35am | 1:35pm |
| Professional men | 9:05am | 2:05pm |
| Mass start wave 1 | 9:10am | 2:10pm |
| Mass start wave 2 | 9:45am | 2:45pm |
| Mass start wave 3 | 10:20am | 3:20pm |
| Mass start wave 4 | 10:55am | 3:55pm |
| Mass start wave 5 | 11:30am | 4:30pm |
How to watch the New York City Marathon live
In the UK, coverage is scheduled on TNT Sports and HBO Max from 1:15pm to 4:15pm.
In the United States, the race will be shown nationally on ESPN2 and ESPN Unlimited from 8am to 11:30am Eastern Time.
NYRR lists Eurosport as a broadcast partner for Europe, India and Southeast Asia. Other international broadcasters include Fox Sports in Australia, TSN in Canada, L’Équipe in France, Il Corriere dello Sport in Italy and TV Asahi in Japan.
Viewers can also watch on ESPN International in Latin America and the Caribbean, TVE and TV3 in Spain, SuperSport in Sub-Saharan Africa and SVT in Sweden.
The official New York Road Runners app also offers live tracking and leaderboards, as well as uninterrupted feeds of all four professional races. Check availability in your territory.
Women’s elite field: Obiri chases third New York title
Hellen Obiri returns to a race that has provided some of the finest moments of her marathon career, seeking a third New York title in four years.
The Kenyan won for the first time in 2023 and regained her crown last November in spectacular fashion, clocking 2:19:51 to break Margaret Okayo’s course record, which had stood for 22 years.
The entire women’s podium went under the previous mark, with Obiri getting the better of an absorbing contest to add another major victory to her CV.
The Olympic marathon bronze medallist has continued to impress in 2026, winning the NYC Half in March before running a personal best of 2:15:53 to finish second at the London Marathon.
Another New York victory would put Obiri alongside Paula Radcliffe as a three-time winner of the women’s race.
Among those hoping to stop her is fellow Kenyan Sheila Chepkirui, who beat Obiri to the title in 2024 before finishing third last year. Viola Cheptoo and 2010 winner Edna Kiplagat also bring considerable experience to the field.
There have, however, been some significant withdrawals since the initial start list was announced. Olympic champion Sifan Hassan pulled out after illness disrupted her preparations, while leading American Fiona O’Keeffe has undergone hamstring surgery.
One of the most intriguing storylines belongs to Weini Kelati, who will make her marathon debut on home soil.
The American half-marathon record holder has already enjoyed success on the streets of New York, but the step up to 26.2 miles presents a new challenge against an experienced international field.
Fellow American Jess McClain arrives after running 2:20:49 at Boston in April, where she finished fifth and set an American course record.
Uruguay’s Julia Paternain, a marathon medallist at the 2025 World Championships, is another to watch, while Britain’s Phily Bowden adds further interest for UK fans.
Men’s elite field: Can Kipruto repeat?
A year after winning one of the closest finishes in marathon history, Benson Kipruto is back to defend his New York title.
The Kenyan edged training partner Alexander Mutiso by just three hundredths of a second in 2025, with both men credited with a time of 2:08:09.
Kipruto has now won four World Marathon Majors and will attempt to become the first man to retain the New York title since John Kagwe in 1998.
The Olympic bronze medallist finished third at Boston in April and brings the fastest personal best in the announced field, his 2:02:16 from victory in Tokyo in 2024.
Two previous New York champions will be among those trying to deny him. Kenya’s Geoffrey Kamworor won in 2017 and 2019 and has an excellent record on the course, while Dutch athlete Abdi Nageeye claimed his first Major victory here in 2024.
All eyes will be on Sweden’s Andreas Almgren who has enjoyed a remarkable 2026 and now faces the biggest step yet in his road-racing career: his marathon debut.
The European 10,000m champion added the world half-marathon title in Copenhagen in September, clocking a European record 58:06.
Rather than choosing a flat, paced race for his first marathon, Almgren has opted for New York’s demanding course and a head-to-head battle against some of the world’s most accomplished runners.
Ethiopia’s Deresa Geleta, runner-up in Tokyo in 2025, makes his New York debut with a best of 2:02:38, while Kenya’s Cybrian Kotut is another dangerous contender taking on the course for the first time.
British fans will have plenty of reason to follow Patrick Dever, who produced a superb performance on his marathon debut in New York last year.
The Preston Harrier crossed the line fourth, just one second behind Albert Korir, before later being promoted to third after the Kenyan received a doping ban.
Dever followed that breakthrough by running 2:06:18 at the London Marathon in April, placing him among the fastest British marathon runners in history.
The American challenge includes national marathon record holder Conner Mantz and Zouhair Talbi, who ran 2:03:45 at Boston in April. Boston’s point-to-point course is not eligible for record purposes, but Talbi’s performance was the fastest marathon time by an American on any course.
Wheelchair races: Hug targets eighth title
Switzerland’s Marcel Hug will aim to extend his extraordinary New York record when he lines up in the men’s wheelchair race.
The course record holder claimed his seventh New York title in 2025 and has already won in Tokyo, Boston and London this year.
Among his challengers are three-time New York champion Daniel Romanchuk of the United States and Britain’s David Weir, who won the race in 2010 and finished on the podium last year. Fellow Britons Johnboy Smith and Simon Lawson are also in the field.
In the women’s race, defending champion Susannah Scaroni faces a strong line-up including Swiss course record holder Catherine Debrunner and five-time New York winner Tatyana McFadden.
Britain’s Eden Rainbow-Cooper, the reigning Boston Marathon and NYC Half champion, will also be one to watch, alongside 2021 winner Madison de Rozario of Australia.
The New York City Marathon course
The New York City Marathon is famous for its crowds and atmosphere, but the course presents a demanding test even for the world’s best runners.
The race starts on Staten Island, with the opening miles taking runners across the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge and into Brooklyn. From there, the route heads through Queens and across the Queensboro Bridge into Manhattan.
The long stretch up First Avenue takes the field towards the Bronx, before runners return to Manhattan for the closing miles. The gradual climb up Fifth Avenue comes late in the race, with the rolling terrain of Central Park still to negotiate before the finish.
The route through the Bronx has been adjusted for 2026, the first course change in 15 years.
This year’s event celebrates 50 years since the marathon first travelled through all five boroughs. The original race in 1970 consisted of laps of Central Park, with the five-borough route introduced in 1976.
Course records
| Division | Athlete | Time | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men | Tamirat Tola (ETH) | 2:04:58 | 2023 |
| Women | Hellen Obiri (KEN) | 2:19:51 | 2025 |
Which celebrities are running?
Ultra-endurance athlete and podcaster Rich Roll is among the familiar names set to take on the five-borough course, alongside British endurance runner William Goodge.
Goodge is aiming to make New York the finale of an ambitious challenge to run 50 marathons in all 50 US states in 24 days, supporting Stand Up To Cancer.
Former Liverpool and England footballer James Milner is set to run his first marathon in support of his foundation.
Academy Award-winning actress Jennifer Connelly is also due to return to New York for her fourth marathon, running in support of Fred’s Team.
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