NYC Marathon: route, street closures, subway changes, and more

More than 50,000 runners from around the world will flood New York’s streets on November 3—that’s this Sunday!—for the 2019 TCS New York City Marathon. This year, there will be participants coming from 129 countries, and several celebrities will join their ranks, including Orange is the New Black’s Uzo Aduba, Melrose Place’s Andrew Shue, and House of Cards’s Paul Sparks.

The 26.2-mile run begins in Staten Island, with runners trekking over the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, and up through Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, and the Bronx, before ending at the southwestern corner of Central Park. It’s one of the most joyous days of the year in New York City, with neighbors along the route acting as a de facto cheering squad for every runner who passes. (And some neighborhoods are more enthusiastic than others—here’s what it’s like along Mile 8 in Brooklyn, an especially boisterous section of the route.)

Of course, there will be loads of street closures and public transit disruptions because of the marathon—read on for intel on that.

What time is the NYC marathon?

The marathon, happening on Sunday, November 3, will begin at 8:30 a.m. in Staten Island. Groups of runners begin at different times—the wheelchair division, for example, kicks things off at 8:30 a.m., but the final wave of runners won’t get started until 11 a.m.

What’s the NYC marathon route?

TL;DR version: Runners begin in Staten Island and cross the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge into Brooklyn; they’ll run up Fourth Avenue, then close to the Brooklyn waterfront and over the Pulaski Bridge into Long Island City; after a short run through Queens, they’ll cross the Queensboro Bridge into Manhattan, heading north through the Upper East Side and Harlem; then, they cross the Willis Avenue Bridge, run through the Bronx, and then back into Manhattan over the Madison Avenue bridge; then, it’s the final leg down Fifth Avenue and through Central Park, before ending at the park’s southwestern end.

Here’s a course map that illustrates the route.

Where can I watch the NYC marathon?

Plenty of places! The official marathon website has details on the best places to watch—namely, the ones where people celebrate the most, like Brooklyn’s Fourth Avenue—but anywhere along the course is fair game.

The marathon will also be broadcast on ABC7 and livestreamed via the channel’s website.

What streets will be closed for the NYC marathon?

The NYPD releases a list of street closures every year, and it’s extensive—prepare for major closures in all four boroughs, along with lane closures on the Queensboro, Verrazzano, Madison Avenue, and Pulaski bridges, along with the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. You can check out the full list of street closures on the Department of Transportation’s website.

How can I get around during the NYC marathon?

Several trains and stations may experience higher ridership volumes than usual, the MTA announced, including the 1 at South Ferry; N and R at Whitehall Street; 4 and 5 at Bowling Green; and D, F, and M at 42nd Street-Bryant Park. Several bus routes will also be affected. Visit the MTA’s Weekender site for more details on subway service changes.

For marathon participants, there will be a shuttle service on Staten Island from the ferry terminal to School Road at Bay Street, where the race starts.

The MTA has also released its yearly subway map with handy marathon pointers, including the best stops for major viewing locations.