An UWS Guide to Marathon Weekend: How and Where to Watch the Race and More

By Tracy Zwick

First run in 1970 as four laps in Central Park with 55 finishers, the NYC Marathon left the park and entered the five boroughs in 1976.

It’s never looked back.

This Sunday, the TCS NYC Marathon will include more than 55,000 participants and over two million spectators on the best day of the year in New York City. And its home base and finish line are in the best part of town: the Upper West Side. 

The race is organized by the nonprofit New York Road Runners organization, and it starts Sunday morning at 8:00 a.m., but festivities begin before then. Here is an itinerary and other information about watching the race:

NYC Marathon Expo: One of the country’s largest running expos, it’s free and open to the public at the Jacob K.Javits Center on 11th Avenue and West 36th Street, from Thursday, October 30th through Saturday, November 1st. Hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, with earlier hours Saturday (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Marathon runners pick up their bibs and swag here, but any runner can come and shop at dozens of running-focused booths. You can also hear expert speakers talk about  everything from stretching, to fueling, to technique. 

Opening Ceremony: If you’re not busy celebrating Halloween, head to Central Park this Friday, October 31st – you can enter at West 63rd Street. Around 4:30 p.m., the annual Parade of Nations begins. It’s a showcase of marathon runners from all over the world carrying their national flags and beaming with pride. It concludes with fireworks over the finish line at dusk. 

Abbott Dash to the Finish 5K: Kicking off Saturday, November 1st at 8:45 a.m., this 5K is more than just the race before the race. It’s going to boast seven Olympians, seven national champions, and plenty of regular UWSers, including me. As Rob Simmelkjaer, NYRR CEO said, “it gives runners the chance to take in the energy of NYC during marathon weekend without having to run 26.2 miles.” More than 10,000 athletes will experience the thrill of crossing the iconic marathon finish line, and it’ll only take 3.1 miles for them to get there. Watch at the finish line or anywhere along the course, which you can find here. 

How to Watch the Marathon on Sunday: Most of the course, from mile 3 to mile 26, is open to spectators. You can also watch it on TV or streaming, or listen to the radio broadcast. (Details can be found here.) The race starts on Staten Island at 8 a.m. with the professional men’s wheelchair division, and waves of starters will continue to enter the course until the final runners take to the Verrazzano Bridge starting line at 11:30 a.m. Runners are expected to be on the course from 8 a.m. until well after dark. The pros should be finishing around 11 a.m. 

Be sure to download the official NYC Marathon app. It lets you track any runner using their name or bib number, and while that runner’s on the course, it should tell you exactly where they are. From the UWS, the closest spot to watch is near the finish line in Central Park, but you can also watch along 59th Street from Columbus Circle to the eastern edge of Central Park. Grandstand seating in Central Park is available for purchase. 

Who to Watch: Celebrities, pro athletes, and perhaps your friends and family will be competing not just to finish, but for your attention on Sunday. Runners include: actress Jennifer Connelly, actor Anthony Ramos, musician Ben Gibbard, several former “Love Island” and “Bachelor” participants, 46 Olympians, and 12 previous NYC Marathon champs, including crowd favorites Helen Obiri (2023 winner), and Sharon Lokedi (2022 winner). The winners get $100,000 each. 

How to Get in the Race Next Year: If you catch the marathoning bug on Sunday, get started asap in securing a spot on next year’s starting line. You can earn it by running a qualifying marathon or half-marathon in a dauntingly fast qualifying time, which depends on your age and gender. You can also get in by raising money for one of the race’s charity partners. Another option is to get lucky and win the NYC Marathon Lottery. Or you can take advantage of NYRR’s 9+1 program, through which you gain entry to the following year’s marathon after running nine smaller NYRR races and volunteering at one, all within the same calendar year.

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