New York City Marathon facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids New York City Marathon
The TCS New York City Marathon logo
Date	First Sunday in November
Location	New York City, U.S.
Event type	Road
Distance	Marathon 26.219 miles (42.195 km)
Primary sponsor	TCS (since 2013)
Established	1970, 55 years ago
Course records	2:04:58 Tamirat Tola (2023) 2:22:31 Margaret Okayo (2003)

The New York City Marathon, also known as the TCS New York City Marathon, is a super popular long-distance running race. It happens every year in New York City. Runners go through all five parts of the city, called boroughs. It's the biggest marathon in the world! In 2019, over 53,000 people finished the race.

The race is put on by New York Road Runners. It has been held every year since 1970, except for two times. In 2012, it was cancelled because of Hurricane Sandy. In 2020, it was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The marathon takes place on the first Sunday in November. It brings together professional runners and everyday people from all over the world. Because so many people want to run, most get in through a lottery system. You can also get a spot by running other races, volunteering, or raising money for charities.

History of the Race
The Marathon Course
Famous Moments and Winners
Images for kids
See also

History of the Race

Paula Radcliffe, who won the women's race in 2007.

The very first New York City Marathon was held on September 13, 1970. It was organized by Fred Lebow and Vincent Chiappetta. Only 127 people ran, and they did several loops around Central Park. Just 55 runners finished the race. Gary Muhrcke won in 2 hours, 31 minutes, and 38 seconds. Not many people watched back then, only about 100!

Over the years, the marathon got much bigger. In 1976, to celebrate the 200th birthday of the United States, someone suggested the race should go through all five boroughs. This idea was a huge hit! What was supposed to be a one-time special event became the yearly course.

In 1976, Dick Traum became the first person to finish a marathon with a prosthetic leg. The race became even more famous in 1978 when Norwegian runner Grete Waitz set a new world record for women. She finished in 2 hours, 32 minutes, and 30 seconds. Grete went on to win the race an amazing nine times! In 2000, a special division for wheelchair and handcycle racers was added.

The race used to be in late October, but since 1986, it's been held in November. The New York City Marathon is now the biggest marathon in the world. Nearly two million people line the streets to watch each year! The race is also shown live on TV and online.

The Marathon Course

Starting the Race: Central Park

The first New York City Marathon in 1970 was planned by Fred Lebow and Ted Corbitt. The runners stayed inside Central Park. They ran a few small loops and then four larger loops. The total distance was just over 26 miles.

Running Through All Five Boroughs

The course of the New York City Marathon.

Since 1976, the course covers all five boroughs of New York City. It starts on Staten Island, near the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. This huge bridge is usually only for cars, but it closes for the race. Runners use both the top and bottom levels of the bridge. It's an amazing sight to see the bridge filled with thousands of runners at the start!

After crossing the bridge, the course goes through Brooklyn for about 11 miles (18 km). Runners pass through many different neighborhoods like Bay Ridge and Williamsburg.

At about 13 miles (21 km), runners cross the Pulaski Bridge. This is the halfway point and takes them into Long Island City in Queens. After about 15.5 miles (25 km), runners leave Queens and cross the East River on the lower level of the Queensboro (59th Street) Bridge into Manhattan. Climbing this bridge is one of the hardest parts of the race for many runners.

Once in Manhattan, around 16 miles (26 km), the race heads north on First Avenue. Then, runners cross into The Bronx using the Willis Avenue Bridge. They are only in The Bronx for about one mile before crossing back into Manhattan on the Madison Avenue Bridge. The course then goes south through Harlem and down Fifth Avenue. Finally, runners enter Central Park near 90th Street. The last mile is along 59th Street, where thousands of fans cheer them on. The race finishes inside Central Park, near Tavern on the Green. Runners have 8 and a half hours to complete the course.

How Runners Start and Are Timed

In 2008, the race started using a "corral system." This means professional women runners start earlier. Then, other runners start in three different groups at different times. Your official time is measured by a small computer chip on your race number. This chip records when you cross the start line and the finish line.

Runners also pass timing mats every 5 kilometers (about 3 miles) along the course. This lets people track their progress.

There are three different starting routes in Brooklyn, but they all join up later. Each runner's race number has a color (pink, orange, or blue) that shows which starting route they are on.

Famous Moments and Winners

Thousands of runners on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge.

Early Years: 1970s

1970: Gary Muhrcke won the first New York City Marathon in Central Park. Only 55 runners finished.
1972: Six women runners, including Nina Kuscsik, protested a rule that made women start ten minutes before or after men. They sat down at the start line for ten minutes to protest. They became known as the "NYC Six." Nina Kuscsik won the marathon that year. The rule was changed later in 1972.
1976: This was the first year the race went through all five boroughs. Bill Rodgers won the men's race, and 41-year-old Miki Gorman won the women's race.
1978: Grete Waitz from Norway set a new course record for women and won her first of nine New York Marathons!
1979: More than 10,000 runners finished for the first time. Bill Rodgers won his fourth and final NYC Marathon. Grete Waitz became the first woman to finish in under 2 hours and 30 minutes. A runner named Rosie Ruiz was later found not to have run the entire course and was disqualified.

The 1980s

1980: Alberto Salazar won the men's race, setting a new course record. Grete Waitz won her third straight marathon, also setting a new women's course record.
1981: Alberto Salazar won again. His time was thought to be a world record, but the course was later found to be a bit short.
1983: Rod Dixon from New Zealand made an amazing comeback, catching the leader in Central Park to win by just 9 seconds.
1988: Steve Jones from the UK won. Grete Waitz won her ninth and final NYC Marathon.

The 1990s

1992: Grete Waitz ran her last New York Marathon with her friend and race co-founder, Fred Lebow. Fred had brain cancer and passed away two years later.
1994: Germán Silva took a wrong turn near the finish line but still managed to win the race by two seconds! He became known as "Wrong Way Silva."
1995: This was the coldest NYC Marathon ever, with strong winds. Germán Silva and Tegla Loroupe both won for the second year in a row. Tegla Loroupe was the first woman from Africa to win the NYC Marathon.
1997: More than 30,000 people finished the race for the first time.

The 2000s

2000: The marathon added a wheelchair division for men and women.
2001: The marathon happened less than two months after the September 11 attacks. Tesfaye Jifar set a new men's course record, and Margaret Okayo set a new women's course record.
2002: Runners from Kenya won the top three spots in the men's race and also won the women's race. This was the first time Kenyans won both races.
2003: A record 34,729 people ran. Margaret Okayo of Kenya broke her own course record, finishing in 2:22:31.
2004: Paula Radcliffe from Britain won the women's race by just 4 seconds, one of the closest finishes ever!
2005: Paul Tergat of Kenya won by only one second in the closest finish in New York City Marathon history!
2006: Marílson Gomes dos Santos of Brazil became the first South American to win the race. Famous cyclist Lance Armstrong also ran, finishing in under 3 hours.
2007: Martin Lel from Kenya won the men's race, and Paula Radcliffe won the women's race again. Sadly, three runners passed away after the race due to existing heart conditions.
2009: Meb Keflezighi became the first American man to win since 1982. This was also the first marathon ever with more than 40,000 official finishers.

The 2010s

2010: A new world record was set for the most finishers in a marathon, with 44,829 people crossing the line.
2011: Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya set a new course record for men. He became the first man to win both the Boston and New York Marathons in the same year with course records. Another world record was set for finishers: 46,795!
2012: The marathon was cancelled due to Hurricane Sandy. Many runners helped with cleanup efforts instead.
2013: The race returned after the cancellation. Geoffrey Mutai became the first person to win twice in 15 years.
2014: Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) became the main sponsor, and the race was renamed the TCS New York City Marathon.
2016: Ghirmay Ghebreslassie won the men's race, and Mary Keitany won the women's race for the third time.
2017: Geoffrey Kamworor won the men's race. Shalane Flanagan became the first American woman to win since 1977!
2018: Lelisa Desisa won the men's race, and Mary Keitany won her fourth NYC crown, running the second fastest time ever for women on the course. Another world record was set with 52,812 finishers!
2019: Joyciline Jepkosgei and Geoffrey Kamworor won the races. This year set yet another world record for finishers, with 53,627 runners!

The 2020s

The 2022 marathon from above 60th Street and 1st Avenue in Manhattan.

2020: The marathon was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many runners took part in a "virtual race" instead.
2021: The 50th running of the marathon took place, but with fewer competitors due to safety precautions.
2022: The marathon returned to full capacity, with 47,838 finishers.