New York City Marathon
Sunday, November 1, 2026 · New York, USA
Updated Oct 17, 2026
Five major bridges and a punishing late-stage 5th Avenue climb make New York City the tactically most-unforgiving of the World Marathon Majors despite a moderate elevation profile.
NYC Marathon elevation gain
The NYC Marathon has 810 ft (246 m) of elevation gain and 824 ft (251 m) of loss over 26.2 miles (42.195 km).
Where the climbs are
- Mile 0-1Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge: about 150 ft over the first mile
- Mile 13.1Pulaski Bridge: about 40 ft, right at halfway
- Mile 15-16Queensboro Bridge: about 100 ft over half a mile
- Mile 19-20Willis Avenue Bridge: about 40 ft into the Bronx
- Mile 23-24Fifth Avenue: about 100 ft over a mile
- Mile 24-26Central Park: rolling, with two short climbs of about 40 ft
Is the NYC Marathon hard?
Yes. The NYC Marathon scores 9.2/10 on the Kenyan Running Difficulty Index, the 2nd hardest of the 12 marathons we rate.
The median race-day temperature is 11°C (52°F).
The score is built from four factors: hills, race-day weather, turns and bridges, and the late miles where a runner is most likely to lose time. See the score breakdown.
Pacing the NYC Marathon
Print a pace band for the NYC Marathon. On the climbs, run even effort, not even pace: expect to fall behind the band going up and to win the time back coming down.
Training for the NYC Marathon?
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The score breakdown
The Kenyan Running Difficulty Index combines four weighted factors. The heaviest weight (35%) is on Tactical Brutality. That is what a Kenyan coach watches first: where the field actually blows up.
Score confidence: preliminary. Computed from public course, weather, and prize data.
Course profile
- Elevation gain
- 246m / 810ft
- Elevation loss
- 251m / 824ft
- Highest point
- 79m
- Surface
- paved smooth
- Bridges
- 5 (major)
- Late-stage climbs (after mile 18)
- Willis Avenue Bridge (~40ft) between miles 19 and 20; Fifth Avenue's steady ~100ft climb over miles 23-24; Central Park rolling hills from mile 24 to the finish.
- Profile notes
- Front-loaded with 150+ft Verrazzano climb at mile 1. Late-stage climbs disproportionately punish runners who don't pace conservatively.
Race day
- Date
- Sunday, November 1, 2026
- 2025 finishers
- 59,226
- Entry
- General lottery (~1% acceptance), charity partner program, or time qualification.
- Time limit
- Official finishers through 10:00 PM ET. Sweep buses follow at about 16 min/mile from the last wave start.
- Aid stations
- Water and lemon-lime Gatorade Endurance every mile from mile 3 to 25, except miles 5, 7 and 9. Maurten gels at miles 12 and 18, bananas at mile 21. Water refill stations at miles 8, 14, 17, 20 and 23.
Weather (historical)
- Median temp
- 11°C
- Temp range
- 2°C to 20°C
- Humidity
- 64% at start
- Wind
- Variable 5-20 mph historically
- Notable weather events
- 2012 race cancelled due to Hurricane Sandy
Prize money
- Total purse
- $750,000+ (2025)
- Winner
- $100K
- 2nd / 3rd
- $60K / $40K
- Notes
- NYRR member division pays $1,500 to top local finishers.
Course records
Recent winners
Top East African winners (Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Uganda) across the last 10 verified editions: 9 men, 9 women.
| Year | Men's winner | Time | Women's winner | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Benson Kipruto (KEN) | 2:08:09 | Hellen Obiri (KEN) | 2:19:51 |
| 2024 | Abdi Nageeye (NED) | 2:07:39 | Sheila Chepkirui (KEN) | 2:24:35 |
| 2023 | Tamirat Tola (ETH) | 2:04:58 | Hellen Obiri (KEN) | 2:27:23 |
| 2022 | Evans Chebet (KEN) | 2:08:41 | Sharon Lokedi (KEN) | 2:23:23 |
| 2021 | Albert Korir (KEN) | 2:08:22 | Peres Jepchirchir (KEN) | 2:22:39 |
| 2019 | Geoffrey Kamworor (KEN) | 2:08:13 | Joyciline Jepkosgei (KEN) | 2:22:38 |
| 2018 | Lelisa Desisa (ETH) | 2:05:59 | Mary Keitany (KEN) | 2:22:48 |
| 2017 | Geoffrey Kamworor (KEN) | 2:10:53 | Shalane Flanagan (USA) | 2:26:53 |
| 2016 | Ghirmay Ghebreslassie (ERI) | 2:07:51 | Mary Keitany (KEN) | 2:24:26 |
| 2015 | Stanley Biwott (KEN) | 2:10:34 | Mary Keitany (KEN) | 2:24:25 |
Training for NYC Marathon?
A static plan is a starting point. What changes when a Kenyan coach reads your week-by-week training is the part a generic plan can't do. Take the free 5-question quiz to get matched.
Sources
- https://www.runningusa.org/industry-news/new-york-road-runners-breaks-record-again-as-2025-tcs-new-york-city-marathon-becomes-worlds-largest-marathon-ever-with-59000-finishers/
- https://marathonhandbook.com/new-york-city-marathon-course-breakdown/
- https://www.nyrr.org/tcsnycmarathon/the-course
- https://cms.prod.nyrr.org/api/document-files/file/TCSNYCM26_Map_Course_090226_RD3.pdf
- https://marathonhandbook.com/new-york-city-marathon-course/
- https://kyleokimoto.substack.com/p/the-5-nyc-marathon-bridges-ranked
- https://www.nyrr.org/tcsnycmarathon/race-day/the-course
- https://results.nyrr.org/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_winners_of_the_New_York_City_Marathon
- https://www.sportico.com/leagues/other-sports/2025/nyc-marathon-2025-winners-results-prize-money-1234875660/