60,000 people will run the 2026 New York City Marathon

The fastest elite runners will cover the course in about two hours; the stragglers won’t cross the finish line until well after dark. It is expected to be a relatively warm day for November, with highs in the 60s — a bit warmer than runners and organizers generally prefer — with sunny skies and dry conditions.

This year is also the 50th anniversary of the decision to move the race to each of the city’s five boroughs, a one-time change that quickly became the race’s signature feature and a model for big-city marathons.

The course itself will look a little different this time: For the first year since 2011, the route has changed. Once runners get to the Bronx, they will encounter a slightly different path and take five turns instead of the usual seven. The Bronx section of the race is just over a mile long, but it was altered so residents could still get to businesses that were previously cut off on race day.

Here’s what else to know:

• Schedule: The race started at 8 a.m. on Staten Island, with the men’s and women’s professional wheelchair divisions leading the pack. The elite women set off next, with the elite men (9:05 a.m.) close behind. Those small groups get a head start on several waves comprising thousands of other runners. The fifth and last wave leaves at 11:30 a.m. The finish line in Central Park closes at 10 p.m.

• How to watch in-person: Most of the course is open to spectators from Mile 3 to Mile 26. Some of the better spots to watch from include Fourth Avenue in Brooklyn and East Harlem, according to the official marathon website. Before heading over, be sure to check the M.T.A. website to see how the subways are running.

• How to watch from home: The race will be shown in New York on WABC-TV, Channel 7, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern. It will be shown nationally on ESPN2 and in Spanish on ESPN3 from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. There is also an audio broadcast on iHeartRadio. More details, including for international viewers, are on the official website.

• Top runners: Hellen Obiri of Kenya, who set a record in winning the elite women’s division last year, is back. Benson Kipruto of Kenya, who won the men’s race last year by less than one second, is also running again. Marcel Hug of Switzerland, the defending men’s wheelchair champion and the victor six other times before that, is back as well.

• How to track runners: The New York Road Runners app allows you to track the location and paces of your friends, family members and others in real time. Live results are also available on N.Y.R.R.’s website….

NY Times….

image…Da Ping Luo for NYRR