New York City Marathon Fast Facts

Here’s a look at the New York City Marathon.

November 3, 2024 – The Netherlands’ Abdi Nageeye wins the men’s race. Kenya’s Sheila Chepkirui wins the women’s race.

November 5, 2023 – Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola sets a course record and wins the men’s race. Kenya’s Hellen Obiri wins the women’s race.

The annual 26.2-mile marathon usually attracts more than 50,000 runners and 12,000 volunteers.

Over 2.5 million spectators line the course which goes through the city’s five boroughs: Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Manhattan.

The race begins on Staten Island and ends in Central Park.

September 13, 1970 – The first New York City Marathon takes place with 127 runners (55 finished). The course consists of over four laps around Central Park. The first winner is Gary Muhrcke with a time of 2:31:38. He receives a recycled bowling trophy. There is no female finisher the first year.

1971 – The first female winner of the marathon is Beth Bonner with a time of 2:55:22.

1976 – The course is changed to the streets of the city’s five boroughs. The race has more than 2,000 runners.

2000 – The race includes an official wheelchair division for the first time.

2002 – For the first time, the elite female runners start 35 minutes before the men and the rest of the runners. This allows the lead women unimpeded access to water stations and improved media coverage.

2010 – Rescued Chilean miner Edison Pena, one of 33 miners trapped underground for over two months, finishes the marathon in five hours and 40 minutes.

November 2, 2012 – New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg cancels the New York City marathon due to damage from Superstorm Sandy.

June 24, 2020 – The 50th New York City Marathon, scheduled for November 1, 2020, is canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.