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55,000 runners will hit streets for the NYC Marathon Sunday — drivers beware

By

Nicol Leon Arge

and

Louis C. Hochman

Published Nov 1, 2025

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Runners compete during the 53rd New York City Marathon in 2024.

 

Photo by Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images

By

Nicol Leon Arge

and

Louis C. Hochman

Published Nov 1, 2025

Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail

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More than 55,000 runners are expected at the 54th New York City Marathon Sunday — and about two million spectators are expected to cheer them on, organizers said.

It’s a great day to get around on foot and even by bicycle, but if you're planning to drive, bring a sleeping bag and provisions because you're likely to get stranded.

Roads throughout the five boroughs will be closed as runners make their way through the course. Yankees' recently minted Hall-of-Famer CC Sabathia is serving as grand marshal.

The National Weather Service predicts clear skies and mid-50s temperatures, with the lingering effects of Hurricane Melisssa behind us.

NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said this week there will be a large, visible police presence, bolstered by helicopters and drones. Tisch said intelligence units will also keep a close watch on social media activity throughout the event, but there are no credible threats.

Security will be especially strict near the Central Park finish line, and spectators should plan for bag inspections before entering the park. Weapons, coolers, large bags, chairs and umbrellas are prohibited. The use of recreational drones is also banned.

According to the MTA, on Sunday, some stairways may be closed at the following stations: 59th Street-Columbus Circle station for the A, C, D and 1 trains; 66th Street-Lincoln Center for the 1; 72nd Street for the C; and 81st Street-Museum of Natural History for C. There will also be plenty of detours for buses near the route.

The full list of planned service changes is here.

Bridges will close at the following times, but reopen once runners have passed through:

Most of the bridges are expected to start reopening around 4 p.m.

And expect closures on any of the following, on a rolling basis and at the NYPD’s discretion.

Staten Island

Brooklyn

Queens

Manhattan

Bronx

For the “family reunion,” which runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m, expect closures on Central Park West between Columbus Circle and West 76th Street. There will also be closures Central Park West and Broadway on West 61st-66th Streets; between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue on West 67th-74th Streets; on Columbus Avenue between West 74th Street and Broadway; and on Broadway between West 66th Street and Columbus Circle.

Organizers said family members and fans looking to find their runners should look on the following streets, depending on the first letters of their last names:

The race officially wraps up at 10 p.m., when most or all roads should be back open.

Tagged

new york city

nyc events

transportation

Nicol Leon Arge

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Louis C. Hochman

After about two decades in (mostly) New Jersey-focused commercial print, digital and digital-but-radio-adjacent news, Lou stumbled into member-supported news in early 2021, as the editor and CEO of Montclair Local. There, he (hopes he) expanded enterprise, brought more sophistication to digital storytelling and moved the nonprofit newsroom closer to long-term financial sustainability. He helped lead the Local to its fourth consecutive General Excellence award from the New Jersey Press Association — the NJPA's highest honor with judges noting the paper's work to strip away layers of government opacity, to hold power to account, to make news accessible for more members of the community, to share the stories and concerns of more facets of the community and to tell compelling stories across multiple media. He's excited to continue the same ethic — news as a public service — at NYPR as the New Jersey and suburbs editor, drawing on the extraordinary talents of reporters including Karen Yi and Nancy Solomon. Lou lives in Philly (that commute!) with his partner and their two cats, about whom and about which he speaks incessantly.

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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

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