Everything You Need to Know About the 2017 NYC Marathon on Sunday
Even though the mere thought of running more than a mile may exhaust you, watching a sea of people push through a 26.2-mile course is actually quite something, especially in New York City. This Sunday, November 5, the TCS New York City Marathon -- the largest marathon in the world -- hits the five boroughs, drawing over 50,000 runners from all over the globe, and even more spectators.
Here's everything you need to know, whether you want to get out to cheer on the entrants, kick back and watch at home, or simply have a heads-up on how it might snarl local traffic.
When does the 2017 NYC Marathon start?
The festivities kick off Sunday morning in Staten Island at 8:30am, starting with the professional wheelchair and handcycle racing divisions, followed by four waves of runners who'll begin crossing the starting line at 9:20am. Last year's winner finished in two hours and seven minutes, but the average finish time was 4 hours 37 minutes.
What is the 2017 NYC Marathon course map?
The race starts on the east end of Staten Island, with the course taking runners over the Verrazano Bridge, through Brooklyn, into Queens, over the Queensboro Bridge into Manhattan, up into the Bronx, and through a final stretch down Fifth Avenue and into Central Park, where they'll cross the finish line on the west side near 67th Street. For full details on the course map, nearby subway stops, and where best to catch a glimpse of the sea of runners, check out the official NYC Marathon map, or download the mobile app.
What roads and bridges will be closed or affected?
Because the marathon touches so many parts of the city, it's going to seriously affect traffic, so if you need to drive anywhere on Sunday, plan accordingly. Here's a full breakdown of all the road and bridge closures from the Department of Transportation. They're officially scheduled to be closed between 9am and 6pm, though you should expect some to shut down earlier than 9am and re-open before 6pm.
Staten Island
- Richmond Terrace between Jersey Street and Bay Street
- Jersey Street between Richmond Terrace and Victory Boulevard
- Victory Boulevard between Jersey Street and Bay Street
- Bay Street between Richmond Terrace and School Road
- Fingerboard Road between Bay Street and Tompkins Avenue
- Tompkins Avenue between Fingerboard Road and School Road
- School Road between Bay Street and Staten Island Expressway
- Lily Pond Avenue between Staten Island Expressway and McClean Avenue
- McClean Avenue between Lily Pond Avenue and New York Avenue
Brooklyn
- Dahlgren Place between Verrazano Bridge and 92nd Street (Northbound)
- 92nd Street between Dahlgren Place and 4th Avenue
- 4th Avenue between 92nd Street and Flatbush Avenue
- Flatbush Avenue between 4th Avenue and Lafayette Avenue
- Lafayette Avenue between Flatbush Avenue and Bedford Avenue
- Brooklyn Queens Expressway (Southbound) between Verrazano Bridge and 79th Street
- 7th Avenue between 79th Street and 75th Street/Bay Ridge Parkway
- 7th Avenue between 74th Street and 75th Street/Bay Ridge Parkway
- 74th Street between 6th Avenue and 7th Avenue
- 6th Avenue between 74th and 75th Street/Bay Ridge Parkway
- Bay Ridge Parkway between 7th Avenue and 4th Avenue
- Fort Hamilton Parkway between 92nd Street and 94th Street
- 94th Street between Fort Hamilton Parkway and 4th Avenue
- Bedford Avenue between Lafayette Avenue and Nassau Avenue
- Nassau Avenue between Bedford Avenue/Lorimer Street and Manhattan Avenue
- Manhattan Avenue between Nassau Avenue and Greenpoint Avenue
- Greenpoint Avenue between Manhattan Avenue and McGuiness Boulevard
- McGuiness Boulevard between Greenpoint Avenue and 48th Avenue (Southbound)
- Pulaski Bridge (Southbound)
Queens
- Pulaski Bridge (Southbound)
- 48th Avenue between 11th Street and Vernon Boulevard
- Vernon Boulevard between 48th Avenue and 10th Street
- 10th Street between Vernon Boulevard and 44th Drive
- 44th Drive between 10th Street and Hunter Street
- Hunter Street between 44th Drive and Crescent Street
- Crescent Street between Hunter Street and Queens Plaza South
- Queens Plaza South between Crescent Street and 23rd Street
- Queens Plaza North between Crescent Street and 23rd Street
- 23rd Street between Queens Plaza South and Queens Plaza North
- Queensboro Bridge (Eastbound) 2
Manhattan
- Queensboro Bridge (Vehicle Entrance Ramp Eastbound)
- East 59th Street between Queensboro Bridge and 1st Avenue
- 1st Avenue between East 59th Street and Willis Avenue Bridge
- 60th Street between 1st Avenue and 2nd Avenue
- Madison Avenue Bridge
Bronx
- Willis Avenue Bridge/Willis Avenue
- East 135th Street between Willis Avenue and Alexander Avenue
- Alexander Avenue between East 135th Street and East 138th Street
- East 138th Street between Alexander Avenue and Morris Avenue
- Morris Avenue between East 138th Street and East 140th Street
- East 140th Street between Morris Avenue and Rider Avenue
- Rider Avenue between East 140th Street and East 138th Street
- East 138th Street between Rider Avenue and Madison Avenue Bridge
Manhattan (Continued)
- 5th Avenue between 138th Street and 124th Street
- 124th Street between Madison Avenue and Mount Morris Park West
- Mount Morris Park West between 124th Street between 120th Street
- 120th Street between Mount Morris Park West and 5th Avenue
- 5th Avenue between 120th Street and 90th Street
- 90th Street between 5th Avenue and East Drive (Central Park Southbound)
- East Drive between 90th Street and Grand Army Plaza
- Grand Army Plaza between East Drive and Central Park South
- 59th Street between 5th Avenue and Columbus Circle/8th Avenue/Central Park West
- Central Park Driveway/8th Avenue Approach to West Drive
- West Drive between 8th Avenue Approach and 96th Street Approach to West Drive
- 96th Street Approach to West Drive
- 67th Street Approach to West Drive
What's the weather forecast for the NYC Marathon?
According to Accuweather, the forecast for Sunday is looking pretty good, with a high temperature of 63 degrees. However, as of this writing, there is a roughly 40% chance of precipitation between 11am and 1pm.
How can I find out where a particular runner is on the course at any given time?
The official TCS NYC Marathon mobile app has a tracking function that enables you to keep tabs on individual runners by simply plugging in their bib number. Similarly, you can check this webpage for live results info and runner tracking details once the race starts on Sunday.
If you can't make it out to cheer on the runners in person, you can catch the action locally from your couch or phone on ABC channel 7 or stream it at ABC7NY.com. It'll also be broadcast live on ESPN2 until 12:30pm on Sunday.
What notable athletes and celebrities are running the 2017 NYC Marathon?
If you don't have anyone to personally cheer on at this year's race, there are a few runners you may want to look out for. Meb Keflezighi, a famed marathoner who picked up a silver medal at the 2004 Olympic games and who's previously won both the NYC and Boston marathons, will be hanging up his marathon shoes after he crosses the finish line this year -- he claims this one is his last.
You'll also want to keep your eyes peeled for some familiar faces, because as usual, a number of celebrities will be wearing bibs in the NYC Marathon. Tiki Barber, Kevin Hart, Karlie Kloss, Prince Royce, Caroline Radziwill, Casey Neistat, and Nev Shulman are all signed up to race this year.
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