SportsTravel

The TCS New York City Marathon is an iconic event known the world over, but the 2026 edition was even more significant than usual.

Sunday’s race marked the 50th anniversary of the five-borough, 26.2-mile course, which begins in Staten Island (crossing the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge), before moving through Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, the Bronx and back into Manhattan to finish in Central Park. Unlike many courses that stick to a single city center, the New York City Marathon incorporates all five boroughs, featuring five bridges and sweeping views across the entire city.

A race that initially began in 1970 as four-plus laps of Central Park with 55 finishers and 100 spectators has transformed into a true mass-participation bucket-list event. On October 24, 1976, the five-borough marathon was inaugurated to celebrate America’s 200th birthday and to bring New York citizens together amidst a period of economic stagnation and high unemployment. A half-century later, the 55th edition of the New York City Marathon welcomed an estimated 60,000 runners and two million spectators, thereby breaking its own world record for largest marathon by athletes running the same course on the same day.

That wasn’t the only bit of history at the race. Sweden’s Andreas Almgren won the men’s elite race in his marathon debut with a time of 2:06:01. He had already claimed the half-marathon world title in Copenhagen, Denmark, and the 10,000m European title in Birmingham, UK, earlier this year. In the women’s elite race, Kenya’s Sheila Chepkirui clocked a time of 2:24:36 to win her second title at the race, having claimed her first triumph there in 2024.

Now one of the largest and most prestigious Abbott World Marathon Majors (alongside races in Berlin, Boston, Cape Town, Chicago, London, Sydney and Tokyo), the New York City Marathon sets the standard for modern marathons to follow, from its thousands of volunteers to the millions of fans lining the route to the charitable impact that this year raised $100 million for the race’s Official Charity Partner Program.

As the TCS New York City Marathon marked its 50th anniversary of the five-borough course, Ted Metellus, New York Road Runners chief event production officer and race director, looked back on the event’s history and outlined how the event is continuing to modernize and attract new participants each year:

ST: How did your organization celebrate the 50th anniversary of the five-borough course? 

Metellus: This year was especially meaningful for us as we celebrated 50 years since the New York City Marathon first expanded beyond Central Park and into all five boroughs in 1976. What started with just over 2,000 runners has grown into one of the largest and most iconic sporting events in the world.

We celebrated this milestone throughout race week in several exciting ways. We launched our Trailblazers campaign to honor the five individuals whose vision and leadership helped make the original five-borough marathon possible, and we recognized their legacy through special programming, race signage, and inviting them or their descendants to serve as Honorary Grand Marshals.

We also brought the marathon experience to Grand Central Terminal for the first time with our “50 Years Through the 5 Boroughs” experience, a free, four-day activation featuring an interactive track and activities celebrating each borough. And at our TCS New York City Marathon Expo Presented by New Balance, we showcased historical memorabilia, including 50 years of marathon medals and shirts.

It’s been incredible to reflect on how far the marathon has come while celebrating the people and communities that have made it what it is today.

ST: What were the changes or adjustments to the course / event?

Metellus: This year, runners and spectators could expect a slight adjustment to the course in the Bronx, marking the first course change in 15 years. After crossing the Willis Avenue Bridge, runners followed a modified route along East 135th Street, Alexander Avenue, East 141st Street, and Third Avenue before returning to East 138th Street and crossing the Madison Avenue Bridge.

We made this adjustment to minimize the race’s impact on the surrounding Bronx community and improve access to local businesses as the neighborhood continues to evolve.

We also introduced five self-serve Culligan water refill stations along the course, one in each borough, to give runners carrying their own hydration bottles or vests more opportunities to refill while helping reduce waste.

Another exciting addition was our pilot of five new Para Athletics categories, which gave qualifying athletes with disabilities more opportunities to compete against others with similar disabilities.

ST: How is the event embracing technological innovations? 

Metellus: Technology plays an increasingly important role in how we deliver a world-class experience for our runners, spectators, volunteers, and the millions of people following the TCS New York City Marathon around the world.

At New York Road Runners, we’re constantly exploring how innovation can make the marathon more efficient, accessible, sustainable, and engaging. This involves everything from the technology involved in timing and scoring a race, to bringing on a crowd scientist to manage the 60,000 runners flowing from Staten Island through the five boroughs, to our New York Road Runners App that allows millions of spectators, friends, and families to track runners along the course, to the technology that supports our race-day operations and logistics.

We’re also looking at innovation through the lens of sustainability. For example, we expanded opportunities for runners to refill their own hydration bottles on the course in partnership with Culligan International, helping us explore new ways to reduce waste while still providing the hydration support runners need.

For us, innovation isn’t just about adopting the latest technology. It’s about finding meaningful  ways to improve the experience for everyone involved while maintaining the safety, accessibility, and personal connections that make the New York City Marathon so special.

ST: How many people participated, and how did this compare to previous years? 

Metellus: We were expecting nearly 60,000 runners from around the world to take on the 26.2-mile journey through all five boroughs this year.

The TCS New York City Marathon continues to experience incredible growth. In 2025, we had a record 59,226 finishers, making it the largest marathon in history at the time and marking our second consecutive year of record-breaking participation.

Interest in the race has also reached new heights. This year’s non-guaranteed entry drawing received more than 240,000 applications from over 160 countries, a nearly 20 percent increase from 2025. It’s exciting to see the continued enthusiasm for running and how many people want to be part of this experience.

ST: Where were these runners traveling from?

Metellus: The TCS New York City Marathon truly brings the world together. This year, we welcomed registered runners from all 50 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and approximately 140 countries.

Some of our largest international representations included Italy, France, the United Kingdom, and Germany.

We also saw a great mix of first-time and returning participants. Among registered runners, 66 percent said this would be their first TCS New York City Marathon, while 31 percent said it would be their first marathon overall.

It’s incredible to see people travel from across the globe to experience New York City and the energy of running through all five boroughs.

ST: What learnings do you take from previous years of the marathon, or from other marathon events around the world? 

Metellus: One of the most important things I’ve learned as chief event production officer and race director is that there’s always an opportunity to improve, no matter how successful an event has been. The TCS New York City Marathon has been around for more than five decades, but we approach every year with the mindset that we can make the next one even better.

We look at everything from transportation and start operations to hydration, medical services, course logistics, and the finish-line experience. We visit and speak with leaders at other races around the world and take inspiration from how they manage these operations to identify opportunities to improve the experience year after year. And we also share key learnings with them. We recognize that we’re part of a global running community, and there’s tremendous value in sharing knowledge and best practices. Every race faces its own unique challenges, but we can all learn from one another when it comes to safety, sustainability, accessibility, and event production.

ST: What are your plans for the future of such a prestigious event? 

Metellus: The TCS New York City Marathon is one of the most iconic sporting events in the world, and our responsibility at New York Road Runners is to honor its incredible legacy while continuing to push the event forward.

50 years ago, the first five-borough marathon was an ambitious experiment that transformed the sport and established a model for major city marathons around the world. Today, nearly 60,000 runners take on that same journey through all five boroughs, supported by millions of spectators. As we look toward the next 50 years, our goal is to continue setting the standard for what a world-class marathon can be.

A major priority is making the marathon more inclusive and accessible to athletes of all backgrounds and abilities. This year, we piloted new Para Athletics categories that give athletes with disabilities more opportunities to compete against others with similar disabilities. It’s an important step forward in our longstanding commitment to making running a sport for everyone, and we want to continue building on that progress in the years ahead.

We’re also focused on making the event more sustainable, embracing new technologies, and finding innovative ways to enhance the experience for runners and spectators. At the same time, we’re committed to working closely with our city partners and the communities along the course to ensure the marathon continues to have a positive impact across all five boroughs.